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Minister: fight against poverty - key task for Russia as part of new development agenda

Russia placed special emphasis on the task of stabilizing the global economy, providing employment and decent working conditions, boosting production potential, Russian deputy foreign minister said

UNITED NATIONS, July 8. /TASS/. The struggle against poverty and non-infectious diseases as well as the road traffic safety are the key tasks for Russia within the framework of the new global development agenda, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said on Tuesday. He is taking part in the Sustainable Development Forum at the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

According to Gatilov, this position is dictated by the fact that Russia is committed to the continuity of the Sustainable Development Goals due to be endorsed in September in relation to the previous plan that expires at the end of the year - the Millennium Development Goals. "Therefore, we consider the struggle against poverty a key task in the framework of the new agenda," the diplomat said.

Gatilov told reporters following ECOSOC session that "the road traffic safety we are focusing on and the fight against non-infectious diseases" were also a priority for Russia in the context of the new development agenda. The diplomat noted that Russia placed special emphasis on the task of stabilizing the global economy, providing employment and decent working conditions, boosting production potential, introducing more efficient and sustainable patterns of production and consumption.

The day before the forum, the results of the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals were summed up at the UN headquarters. According to the global organization, this allowed to reduce the number of people living in extreme poverty almost by half - from 1,9 billion in 1990 to 836 million in 2015.