Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan met with Pedro Moreno, Deputy Secretary-General and Acting Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Hasmik Tolmajyan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the Swiss Confederation, also attended the meeting.
During the meeting, the parties discussed the interlinkages between trade, economic development and biodiversity conservation, as well as opportunities for cooperation within the framework of COP17.
The Minister emphasized the importance of pursuing balanced policies that reconcile economic development with environmental protection, noting that biodiversity loss has a serious impact on economic stability, supply chains and trade. The parties also discussed the need to integrate environmental considerations more systematically into trade policies.
The Minister presented the priorities of COP17, including accelerating the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, promoting sustainable production and consumption, increasing private-sector engagement, and developing new environmental financing mechanisms.
In this context, the Minister emphasized the importance of UNCTAD’s involvement in developing technical assistance, joint initiatives and policy recommendations.
The parties agreed to continue their working dialogue and explore opportunities for organizing joint events and implementing technical assistance programmes within the framework of COP17.