On September 22, High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Zareh Sinanyan attended the official opening of the Global Medical Tourism Conference in Yerevan.

The conference brought together Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia Gevorg Papoyan, UN Tourism Secretary-General Shaikha Al Nuwais, Chair of the Tourism Committee of Armenia Anushik Avetyan, representatives of the diplomatic corps, more than 50 international guests, and healthcare professionals.

As part of the conference, High Commissioner Zareh Sinanyan participated in the panel discussion titled “Medical Tourism in a New Era: Opportunities, Lessons Learned and Challenges.”

In his remarks, the High Commissioner highlighted the progress made in developing Armenia’s medical tourism sector, noting the significant engagement of Diaspora Armenian professionals and entrepreneurs and the important role they already play in advancing the sector.

The panel discussion also featured Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia Gevorg Papoyan; Minister of Tourism of Montenegro Simonida Kordic; Deputy Minister of Health of the Republic of Armenia Samvel Kharazyan; and Dr. Siddhartha Sankar Datta, WHO Representative and Head of the WHO Country Office in Armenia.

Discussions throughout the conference focused on current trends in the development of medical tourism in Armenia, existing challenges and future prospects, as well as opportunities to draw on international best practices and expand international cooperation.