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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres in Yerevan.
Guterres arrived in Armenia to participate in the Leaders’ Summit to be held in Yerevan as part of the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Pashinyan welcomed the visit to Armenia by the delegation led by António Guterres and noted that Guterres was the second UN Secretary-General ever to visit Armenia.
According to a readout from the Prime Minister’s Office, Pashinyan emphasized the importance of cooperation over the past eight years, noting that much had happened in the region and the world during that period. He recalled that the role of the UN had been at the center of all kinds of discussions, with the importance of multilateralism constantly being discussed on the international stage.
“It seems that many international players very much want to see this multilateralism, fully understanding the role of the UN. Unfortunately, however, we see unilateralism in many places, and the situation in the world is becoming increasingly complicated. But fortunately, in our region, after going through very difficult events, we have been able to change the situation, and now our main goal is to reach the finish line. I mean the signing and ratification of the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This is our main goal, and we must focus on it because achieving it is not easy. On the other hand, we must remain as focused as possible on this goal,” Pashinyan said.
Referring to COP17, the Prime Minister said it was the largest event ever organized in the Republic of Armenia and expressed confidence that it would be held at a high level.
In turn, UN Secretary-General António Guterres thanked Armenia for its warm hospitality and for the ‘fantastic preparations’ for COP17.
He congratulated Armenia and emphasized that the conference has been organized “extremely well.”
“I would like to congratulate Armenia because this conference has been organized extremely well. My colleagues tell me that always in the difficult negotiations, to come to a statement or agreement, Armenia has shown an extraordinary diplomatic capacity, making some miracles in bringing together different opinions and different perspectives, which is normal, in all COPs, in all the areas, biodiversity, climate and desertification. And indeed, the quality of the Armenian leadership and diplomacy is remarkable. My sincere congratulations," he said.
Guterres also emphasized the importance of establishing peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, highlighting Prime Minister Pashinyan’s personal contribution to that effort.
During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on the organization of COP17 and the discussions to be held. They also discussed regional developments, including the progress of the TRIPP project. Both sides emphasized the importance of the project in unblocking regional transport links and promoting cooperation.