Epress.am News from Armenia
Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian’s visit to New York began on Sept. 21.
Nalbandian is participating in the the 65th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. In a speech in 2000, Nalbandian spoke about Armenia’s role and the steps it will take to meet the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) adopted by world leaders at the UN Millennium Summit held that same year in New York.
This year, Nalbandian also touched on issues related to security, particularly in the South Caucasus region, according to the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs press service.
In his speech, he said:
“Recognizing that security and development are closely intertwined, governments in the Millennium Declaration undertake efforts to insure people from the disasters of war, both within countries and between states. In this regard, the spread of weapons continues to present a danger not only to peace and security, but also to economic and social development.
“Unfortunately, there are also such risks in our region. Azerbaijan continues to reject the proposal to come to an agreement on not using force or the threat of force. This is contrary to UN principles, whose founders were united in the goal of keeping future generations away from the calamities of war. Today we bear witness to Azerbaijan’s bellicose attitude, the multiplication of its military budget, military rhetoric and provocations, which threaten security and stability in the region,” said Nalbandian.
The Armenian foreign minister said that while talk goes to recorded progress in implementing the Millennium Development Goals, there are people who have remained outside of the international community’s attention.
“The people of Nagorno-Karabakh undertake the maximum in their region to create better living conditions and ensure the protection of human rights. And they do so without the support of the international community. Nagorno-Karabakh continues to expect relevant assistance programs. As long as a result of inaction fails to eliminate the loss of innocent people, we can’t state that all the Millennium Development Goals have been met and equality and justice has been secured at a global level,” said the Armenian diplomat.