Pashinyan discusses ties with Baku and COP17 with UN chief

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Yerevan. The meeting covered the normalization of relations with Azerbaijan, preparations for the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), and the opening of regional infrastructure.

Operative Information Center-OMM reports that Pashinyan noted Guterres had travelled to Armenia to attend the COP17 Leaders’ Summit and was the second UN secretary-general to visit the country.

Discussing the geostrategic situation in the South Caucasus, Pashinyan said steps toward stability were being taken in the region after complex developments in recent years. The prime minister said Armenia’s main goal was to bring the peace process to a conclusion:

“I mean the signing and ratification of a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This is our main goal, and we must focus our efforts to the greatest extent possible on achieving it,” he added.

Pashinyan called COP17 the largest international event hosted in Armenia and said it would be held to a high standard.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised the preparations and highlighted Armenia’s diplomatic efforts to reconcile differing positions and reach common agreements. He stressed the importance of international initiatives on climate and biodiversity, as well as the need to establish a lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and noted Pashinyan’s efforts in this direction.

The meeting also addressed transport and logistics projects in the region, including prospects for implementing the TRIPP project through Armenia’s Syunik (Zangezur) region. The sides stressed the project’s importance for ending the blockade in the South Caucasus and opening regional communications.