UNDP administrator thanks Armenian authorities for sheltering Syrian Armenian refugees

YEREVAN, September 29, /ARKA/. Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator, who arrived yesterday on a three-day official visit to Armenia as part of her official tour to the South Caucasus, thanked today Armenia’s authorities for sheltering Syrian Armenian refugees. 

"I wish to thank Armenia for its assistance for the UN agency for refugees, as well as for helping Syrian Armenian refugees," Clark said during a joint press conference with Armenian foreign minister Edward Nalbandian in Yerevan. 

She also commended Armenia for its contribution to the work of the UNDP executive council, as well as for its participation in other structures of the UN, particularly in the UN peacekeeping missions. 

Asked about her vision of further cooperation between UNDP and Armenia after moving the UNDP regional office from Slovakia to Turkey and Yerevan’s opposition to it, Clark said that the organization will continue to cooperate with Armenia in any format convenient to Yerevan. 

"The United Nations is ready to assist Armenia’s development path that it chooses. We always take into account the peculiarities of a country. In this context, we emphasize Armenia’s direction of developing information and communication technologies ", she added. 

In turn, minister Edward Nalbandian said Yerevan appreciates the UN Armenia Office for the support provided over 23 years of the country’s independence.

He said  during the meeting with Clark they discussed international issues, global challenges, as well as  UN's role in addressing them. 

"The parties also condemned the violence in the Middle East, Iraq and Syria, in particular," he said. -0-