Wednesday, 14 September 2005
Today the High-Level Plenary Meeting of the 60-th Session of the UN General Assembly has started in New York. Heads of State and Government from over 170 countries of the world are taking part in the proceedings of the summit of this reputed international organization, including Prime minister of the Republic Armenia A. Margaryan who arrived in New York on September, 12.
The agenda of this anniversary session of UN General Assembly as presided at by former Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations Jan Eliasson comprises discussion of such universal themes of international importance as the struggle against terrorism, global safety, protection of human rights, millenium challenges, international law-related matters, the necessity of reforming the United Nations' management system, availability of education and public health services, poverty, nuclear energy, refugee problems, children and women issues, climate changes and preservation of the environment, potable water, as well as a number of other questions calling the attention of the world community. Session proceedings were preceded by the delegates' extensive discussions of this three-day summit's draft final document subject to distribution to session participants due to which the session fell a few hours short of its scheduled start. RA Prime Minister will deliver a statement on September. Meanwhile, the head of the Armenian government has had several private meetings.
On September 13, Mr. A. Margaryan has met with acting chief executive director of "Millenium Challenge Corporation" Mr. Charles Setness and deputy chairman of country programs Mr. John Huko. During the meeting, questions relating to the cooperation with the corporation were discussed. The MCC delegation noted with satisfaction that the US Congressmen had come back with good impressions from their recent visit to Armenia. The parties have stated that the cooperation framework was acceptable on either side and work was underway towards the clarification of the proposed mechanisms. To this end, an Armenian delegation is scheduled to arrive in Washington in the near future. The parties said to be pleased with the working groups' joint activities. Also, the representatives of Corporation expressed satisfaction at the thoroughness of the economic criteria used in the government-drafted Armenian program under the MDGs.
The Prime minister said that special attention should be given to agriculture, especially farming. Corporation representatives emphasized the importance of ensuring transparency in the proceedings of MCC Coordination Council that would necessitate incorporating in the council structure representatives from non-governmental organizations and civil society. In this connection, the Prime minister said that GoA advocated transparency of processes and added that the selection procedure for the above organizations could be carried through by common efforts of the corporation, the representatives of non-governmental organizations and civil society.
This very day the Prime minister met with Executive Director of the UN Fund of Population Mrs. Toraja Obeidi and UNDP Program Administrator Mr. Kemal Dervis.
At the meeting Mrs. Toraja Obeidi has noted that cooperation between Government RA and the Fund of Population was kept on a high level. The Prime minister noted that cooperation of Armenia and the Fund of Population and the country's inner potential allowed to implement programs of greater extent than specified for the year running, especially in the area of public health services with a special focus upon the struggle against HIV/AIDS, as well as in the social sphere. Mrs. Obeidi mentioned with satisfaction Armenia's achievements towards lowering the level of the children's death-rate and increasing the level of public awareness. She has especially emphasized importance of the interest on the parrt of Government for the furtherance of cooperation ties, which is the pledge of successful accomplishment of the programs sponsored bu the Fund.
At the Prime Minister's meeting with UNDP Program Administrator, the parties have discussed cooperation issues. Mr. Dervish has noted that over the past few years the cooperation between the government of Armenia and the Armenia office of the United Nations Development Program had experienced a sharp growth covering a variety of spheres. Appreciative of these trends, the Prime minister emphasized the importance regularly published human development reports, which went a long way towards sending out objective and accurate information about Armenia. He added that information on the existing potentialities and the ways to making the best use of them could promote the development of regional cooperation drastically.
