RIA Novosti, Russia
June 24 2004

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT’S SPEECH IN STRASBOURG POSITIVE

YEREVAN, June 24, 2004 (RIA Novosti) – Armenian President Robert
Kocharian believes regional cooperation in the South Caucasus is a
good start for settlement of ongoing conflicts. He voiced his
viewpoint on a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe in Strasbourg.

The presidential press service said Robert Kocharian had spoken for
development of regional cooperation in the South Caucasus aimed at
“both harmonization of legislations and restoration of the
transportation network and implementation of joint energy projects.”

According to Mr. Kocharian, “the South Cucasus as a single economic
space is more valuable than each South Caucasian state may dream of
alone.”

The South Caucasus has always been sesnsible to external impact. The
South Caucasus is the place where civilizations meet, with due
account of its energy and transportation potential it has always lain
in the interests of third countries. It is the very thing that made
us follow comprehensive foreign policy,” Mr. Kocharian stressed.

“We are responsible for stability in the region and we must take
actions to smooth over the problems, not to escalate them. Due to
such an approach we now have confidential relations with the USA, the
European Union and Iran; we have traditional close relations with
Russia as well,” – he added.