Zohrab Mnatsakanyan to attend a meeting of the CIS Ministerial  Council

ArmInfo.Armenia's Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan will participate in a meeting of the CIS Foreign Ministers Council, which will be held May 12 in a video-  conference mode.

As the press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry reported to  ArmInfo, Mnatsakanyan will deliver a speech at a meeting of the  Council of Foreign Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent  States (CIS Foreign Ministers Council).

Meanwhile, according to the press service of the CIS Executive  Committee, the heads of the foreign affairs agencies of the  Commonwealth countries will exchange views on relevant topics on the  international agenda, and will discuss a wide range of issues on  further development and deepening of cooperation in key areas.

At the meeting, it is planned to consider the implementation of the  Plan of multilevel inter-MFA consultations in the CIS for 2019 and  approve a similar plan for 2020. The prepared draft document  traditionally includes topics related to the coordination of the  positions of the Commonwealth states in the framework of UN  membership, interaction with other international organizations, the  information sector, to counteract new challenges and threats,  disarmament, as well as foreign policy planning and arms control. It  was proposed to hold consultations on North American and Latin  American issues, on the integration of integration processes in the  CIS and the EAEU, on cooperation in environmental diplomacy, as well  as in the IAEA and UNESCO.

A significant part of the documents included in the draft agenda of  the Ministerial Council meeting concerns the humanitarian sector. In  particular, the draft Strategy for International Youth Cooperation  for 2021-2030 will be considered. The adoption of the document will  consolidate the efforts of state authorities, youth public and other  organizations involved in the implementation of state youth policy,  CIS industry cooperation bodies to create favorable conditions for  international youth interaction. 

The foreign ministers will also consider a draft Agreement on the  establishment and operation of the Commonwealth Network University.  According to the document, it will be a network of educational  organizations, united to implement joint educational programs using  the resources of partner organizations.  In addition, at the meeting  of the CIS Ministerial Council, a draft Strategy for the Development  of Cooperation in the Field of Tourism for 2021-2030 will be  presented. It is expected that the document will contribute to the  consolidation of efforts of state authorities of the CIS countries,  national tourism organizations and other subjects of the tourism  industry.

The draft Strategy for the Development of Cooperation of the  Commonwealth States in the Field of Physical Education and Sports for  2021-2030, also submitted for consideration by the Ministerial  Council, is aimed at deepening the processes of interaction and  expanding partnerships between national organizations of physical  education and sports in the Commonwealth space.  CIS states intend to  develop cooperation in the field of culture. In this regard, the  draft Main Measures of Cooperation in the Field of Culture for  2021-2025 is being submitted to the CIS Council of Foreign Ministers  for consideration. The agenda includes key issues regarding the draft  agreement on cooperation of the CIS countries in the fight against  corruption, designed to increase the effectiveness of national  efforts and cooperation in this direction.

In addition, documents relating to cooperation in the areas of  humanitarian demining and crisis management at the external borders  of the Commonwealth, the creation of a joint communications system  for the armed forces of the CIS countries will be submitted to the  heads of the foreign affairs agencies.