Remarks of Minister Nalbandian at the concert dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Armenia’s accession to the UN and opening of the UN office in Armenia
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear guests,
I am glad to welcome you at this wonderful event, organised on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Armenia’s accession to the United Nations Organisation and opening of the United Nations office in Armenia.
A quarter century ago the flag of Armenia was raised at the UN headquarters, and Armenia joined the large family of the United Nations.
Today I participated in the inauguration of the auditorium named after Boutros Ghali at the Faculty of International Relations of the Yerevan State University. The name of this prominent statesman of the 20th century is closely linked with Armenia’s membership to the UN, and it is not а coincidence that the auditorium was named after him exactly within the framework of this jubilee celebration.
By acceding to the UN, Armenia has asserted its determination to build a society that is fully committed to the goals and principles of the United Nations Organisation. We are guided by the UN Charter which calls for unity in order to maintain international peace and security, to develop good-neighbourly relations between the states on the basis of the respect for equal rights and self-determination of peoples. The full and strict implementation of all these commitments is the obligation of all states, which they have assumed by their membership. Armenia remains true to them, including in the context of exclusively peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
This lies also in the basis of Armenia’s involvement within the UN framework. First of all, it concerns our commitment to the UN prevention agenda. As a nation that survived the horrors of Genocide, Armenians feel moral obligation to voice in international fora the importance of genocide prevention and to take respective steps.
Armenia also contributes to the international efforts of peacekeeping, peacebuilding and tackling security related issues through participation in peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, Lebanon and Mali.
We have joined the efforts of the international community for addressing current global challenges, including proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, combating terrorism and dealing with issues related to refugees.
Effective cooperation with the UN and its specialized agencies has played an undeniable role for the development and reforms in our country. Throughout these 25 years, we have always felt the support and presence of the UN represented by the UN office in Yerevan. We have implemented and continue to implement many joint projects and programmes.
I would like to congratulate Mr. Bradley Busetto and the whole staff on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of opening of the United Nations office in Armenia and to thank them for their dedicated work.
I also thank the Embassy of Germany in Armenia for sponsoring today’s concert.
I congratulate all of us on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Armenia’s accession to the United Nations. Like quarter century ago, today as well the Armenian people continue to believe in the values and ideas of the UN, perceiving this global structure as a beacon of peace and development. Today Armenia once again reaffirms its commitment to these universal values and is ready to continue our joint path.