ArmInfo.Armenia's Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan will participate in a meeting of the CIS Foreign Ministers Council, which will be held May 12 in a video- conference mode.
As the press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry reported to ArmInfo, Mnatsakanyan will deliver a speech at a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS Foreign Ministers Council).
Meanwhile, according to the press service of the CIS Executive Committee, the heads of the foreign affairs agencies of the Commonwealth countries will exchange views on relevant topics on the international agenda, and will discuss a wide range of issues on further development and deepening of cooperation in key areas.
At the meeting, it is planned to consider the implementation of the Plan of multilevel inter-MFA consultations in the CIS for 2019 and approve a similar plan for 2020. The prepared draft document traditionally includes topics related to the coordination of the positions of the Commonwealth states in the framework of UN membership, interaction with other international organizations, the information sector, to counteract new challenges and threats, disarmament, as well as foreign policy planning and arms control. It was proposed to hold consultations on North American and Latin American issues, on the integration of integration processes in the CIS and the EAEU, on cooperation in environmental diplomacy, as well as in the IAEA and UNESCO.
A significant part of the documents included in the draft agenda of the Ministerial Council meeting concerns the humanitarian sector. In particular, the draft Strategy for International Youth Cooperation for 2021-2030 will be considered. The adoption of the document will consolidate the efforts of state authorities, youth public and other organizations involved in the implementation of state youth policy, CIS industry cooperation bodies to create favorable conditions for international youth interaction.
The foreign ministers will also consider a draft Agreement on the establishment and operation of the Commonwealth Network University. According to the document, it will be a network of educational organizations, united to implement joint educational programs using the resources of partner organizations. In addition, at the meeting of the CIS Ministerial Council, a draft Strategy for the Development of Cooperation in the Field of Tourism for 2021-2030 will be presented. It is expected that the document will contribute to the consolidation of efforts of state authorities of the CIS countries, national tourism organizations and other subjects of the tourism industry.
The draft Strategy for the Development of Cooperation of the Commonwealth States in the Field of Physical Education and Sports for 2021-2030, also submitted for consideration by the Ministerial Council, is aimed at deepening the processes of interaction and expanding partnerships between national organizations of physical education and sports in the Commonwealth space. CIS states intend to develop cooperation in the field of culture. In this regard, the draft Main Measures of Cooperation in the Field of Culture for 2021-2025 is being submitted to the CIS Council of Foreign Ministers for consideration. The agenda includes key issues regarding the draft agreement on cooperation of the CIS countries in the fight against corruption, designed to increase the effectiveness of national efforts and cooperation in this direction.
In addition, documents relating to cooperation in the areas of humanitarian demining and crisis management at the external borders of the Commonwealth, the creation of a joint communications system for the armed forces of the CIS countries will be submitted to the heads of the foreign affairs agencies.