Skopje, 14 August 2024 (MIA) - Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Timcho Mucunski held separate meetings on Wednesday with the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the country, Armen Grigoryan, and UN Women representative Vesna Ivanovikj-Castarede.

Grigoryan and Mucinski discussed UNDP's initiatives and activities in several areas, such as social inclusion, gender equality, improving the position of young people, protection of the rights of persons with disabilities and enabling their comprehensive integration into social life, decentralization, strengthening institutions, local development, environment, and climate change, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade said in a press release.

Minister Mucunski expressed gratitude for the cooperation and said that the government appreciates UNDP's active contribution to the country's overall socio-economic development, and the ongoing excellent cooperation and partnership with Macedonian institutions across several areas. 

At the meeting with UN Women representative Ivanovikj-Castarede, Mucunski stressed that the Government’s priority is improving gender equality and advancement of women's rights and status, which is why closer cooperation with the UN Women Offices is particularly important for the implementation of SDG 5 from the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the press release reads.

The Minister also expressed satisfaction with the overall cooperation with the UN Women Offices, adding that the Government remains a committed partner of the UN and its agencies, and that the Ministry will continue to contribute to the advancement of the status of women at the national and global level.

Interlocutors at both meetings reaffirmed the excellent cooperation and highlighted the implementation of activities in the coming period. ssh/ad/ 

Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade