Thursday, September 24 2020 11:05

ArmInfo. On September 23, RA Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan took part in a Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) .

As reported by the press service of the RA MFA, the speech of the  Armenian Minister was devoted to the topic of cooperation aimed at  the implementation of the  "Cooperation for the Vienna Programme for  Landlocked Developing Countries".

In his speech, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan thanked his Kazakh counterpart  Mukhtar Tleuberdi  for the effective chairmanship of Kazakhstan in  the Group of LLDCs and efforts to advance this very important agenda.  The Minister also expressed deep gratitude to the UN Secretary-  General Antonio Guterres for the constant assistance to the LLDCs and  voicing the issues concerning them.

The Foreign Minister touched upon the new challenges facing  LLDCs amid the novel coronavirus epidemic, noting that, as part of the global blockade LLDCsg  more serious constraints to sustainable growth. In this context, the Armenian Foreign Minister noted the importance of  the Vienna Programme and the launch of a roadmap for its accelerated  application.

According to him, along with the pandemic, there are other obstacles  to the development of countries - blockades and attempts at  unilateral coercion, which not only undermine regional development,  but also pose a threat to peace and security.

<It is almost three decades that Turkey has been denying the right of  Armenia to access to and from sea by closing its land borders. This  medieval type siege cannot be justified either by common sense or by  international law as it directly violates not only relevant  international convention, customary law but also international  agreements.  

Armenia is fully committed to effective multilateral cooperation for  development at the global, international and regional levels. We  continue to view inclusive cooperation between the landlocked and  transit countries as an essential prerequisite to removing political  barriers for the free movement of people, goods and services, and for  the effective realization of the economic and social rights and  rights of all peoples.  

The promotion of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, gender  equality and inclusion, as well as consolidation of democratic values  are key priorities for Armenia, predicated on the idea that human  rights are universal for all peoples and individuals in all parts of  the world, regardless of geography or status.Ensuring a human  rights-based and human-centered approach continues to be a priority  in response and recovery efforts, and Armenia is fully committed to  this. Strengthening human resources and the perception of national  talent as a driving force for smart development defines the essence  of Armenia's reform and reconstruction agenda, which focuses on  information and communication technologies, stimulating innovation  and developing the IT sector.  They are important as effective tools  to reduce costs and facilitate access to foreign markets. Thus,  contributing to the growth of foreign trade, " the Armenian Foreign  Minister noted.