Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the Government, who has arrived in Armenia to take part in the leaders’ summit within the framework of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) to be held in Yerevan.
The prime minister welcomed the visit of the delegation led by Antonio Guterres and noted that he is the second UN secretary-general to visit Armenia. Nikol Pashinyan stressed the joint work of the last 8 years and noted that during that time many things have happened in the region and the world.
“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 final point. I mean the signing and ratification of the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. That is our main goal, and we must focus on it, because implementing it is not easy, but on the other hand we must be as focused as possible on that goal,” Nikol Pashinyan said.
Turning to COP-17, the prime minister noted that it is the largest event ever organized in the Republic of Armenia and expressed confidence that it will be held at a high level.
In turn, Antonio Guterres thanked for the warm hospitality and the excellent organization of the COP 17 conference. “I want to congratulate Armenia, because this conference is extremely well organized. My colleagues say that reaching a joint statement or agreement in negotiations is always difficult. Armenia has shown extraordinary diplomatic ability, working miracles, bringing together different opinions and viewpoints. In all the areas where the COP works — biodiversity, climate — the quality of Armenian leadership and diplomacy truly stands out,” the UN secretary-general said. At the same time, Antonio Guterres stressed the establishment of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan and emphasized Prime Minister Pashinyan’s personal contribution in that cause.
