The role the Armenian government is playing in accommodating these refugees is very impressive and has been singled out by everyone I have met with since I arrived, both in the international community and domestically. They've done a tremendous job of accommodating such a rapid influx of people in such a short time, particularly because there was already a pre-existing population of thousands of refugees—going back to the 2020 conflict—and because Armenia is hosting refugees from other countries, such as Syria, and from other conflicts.
The key challenges now will be moving to support for the government's efforts to integrate the population. Again, this will be moving from emergency supplies of food and shelter to expanding schools to accommodate the larger number of children, expanding medical facilities to accommodate the larger population and, perhaps most importantly, working to support efforts to expand economic opportunities and provide employment.
Prime Minister Pashinyan has signalled that he views this as an opportunity to integrate the population, but a lot of work needs to be done, so the expertise and support of partners and allies, including Canada, is something the Armenian government is actively pursuing.