Christine Weigand: UN Armenia team supports PM's development agenda

Most of the difficulties of landlocked developing countries are also present in Armenia: high transportation costs, institutional and infrastructural barriers, dependence on transit countries, distance from main markets, and limited regional integration. This was announced Friday by Christine Weigand, UN Resident Coordinator a.i. in Armenia, at the Ministerial Meeting of Landlocked Developing Countries, which Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan is hosting.

Although there have been major crises in the last one or two years, Armenia has made progress in line with the national action plan, Weigand said.

In the UN family, they often talk about the connection between humanitarian development and peace. The presentation of the Crossroads of Peace project by the prime minister of Armenia showed the vision of Armenia as to what kind of role it wants to have in the region in terms of communications, which will contribute to peace and long-term stability, the UN official noted.

The UN Armenia team supports this development agenda, and is ready to help the Armenian government to improve regional communications between Armenia and neighboring countries Georgia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan. In particular, to improve the non-physical infrastructure of communications, including the exchange of knowledge and experience, the promotion of contacts between peoples, as well as the development of shared goals and strategies for the implementation of the 2030 agenda, Weigand stated.

According to her, under the 2021-2025 program of cooperation between Armenia and the UN, the latter’s team in Armenia participates in a number of projects that assist in the development of digital infrastructure, road safety, and the improvement of public transport in Armenia.

And next year, they will start developing the 2026-2030 cooperation program with the Armenian government, the UN official emphasized.