Wednesday, September 25 2019 14:03

ArmInfo. Armenian Foreign  Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan held a number of bilateral meetings  during his visit to New York on the margins of the 74th  session  of  the UN General Assembly.

Thaus, according to the RA MFA, Mnatsakanyan, at the meeting with  Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under- Secretary-General for Political and  Peacebuilding Affairs, presented the process of large-scale reforms  implemented by the government on the basis of a broad mandate  received from the people. These reforms are aimed at ensuring the  rule of law in the country, strengthening the institution of human  rights and democracy, as well as at the stable development and reform  of the judicial system.

The interlocutors praised the active and effective cooperation of  Armenia with the UN structures, expressing readiness to continue  steps to deepen and expand it. The importance of ensuring conditions  conducive to the economic revolution was emphasized as a priority. In  the context of the ongoing processes in Armenia the Foreign Minister  highlighted the active engagement of youth and women.  The  interlocutors exchanged views on current regional and international  issues.

The parties touched upon the process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict  settlement. In this context, Mnatsakanyan announced the meeting with  the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and the co-chairs of  the OSCE Minsk Group on September 23, and also presented the  principled position and approaches of Armenia in the process of  exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict.

The Armenian Foreign Minister also held talks with counterparts from  Finland and Tunisia, Pekka Haavisto and Khemaies Jhinaoui .

At a meeting with a Finnish counterpart, mutual readiness was  expressed to take practical steps to fully utilize the existing  potential for the development and deepening of Armenian-Finnish  friendly relations.  Such key areas as information technology,  creative education, and innovation were identified as key sectors.

The parties also exchanged views on the priorities of Finland's  presidency of the EU Council, and touched upon the expansion of  cooperation within the framework of the Eastern Partnership. In this  context, Mnatsakanyan noted the importance of starting a dialogue on  liberalizing the visa regime with the EU, especially from the point  of view of encouraging contacts between people. The head of the  Armenian Foreign Ministry also presented the positions and approaches  of the Republic of Armenia on the settlement of the Karabakh  conflict. The interlocutors pointed out the importance of the  parties' commitment to a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

At a meeting with a counterpart from Tunisia, a wide range of issues  of bilateral cooperation was discussed, mutual readiness was  confirmed once again by joint efforts to contribute to the expansion  and strengthening of the existing agenda. In this context, the  importance of expanding the regulatory framework between the two  countries, of taking steps to hold regular political consultations  between the foreign affairs agencies was indicated.  The  interlocutors also discussed in detail the activities of the  International Organisation of la Francophonie as an effective  platform that ensures cooperation between states sharing the values  of the OIF, exchanged views on preparatory work for the upcoming  summit in Tunis next year. According to Mnatsakanyan, Armenia, as a  country already chairing the Francophonie summit, attaches great  importance to the close cooperation of the OIF with international and  regional organizations such as the UN, UNESCO, and the Council of  Europe.  The head of the Armenian Foreign Ministry also presented his  Tunisian counterpart the achievements of Armenia in the field of  information technology, smart development, creative education and  innovation, emphasizing the importance of implementing programs  involving direct beneficiaries to fully realize the potential for  interaction in these sectors. The interlocutors expressed  satisfaction with the efficient cooperation and mutual support in  international and regional structures.