Armenian foreign minister describes talks with Lavrov as fruitful
By Kseniya Kaminskaya, Tigran Liloyan

ITAR-TASS News Agency
February 17, 2005 Thursday

YEREVAN, February 17 — Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan
has described his talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
as fruitful.

Oskanyan told reporters that an entire range of issues concerning
Russian-Armenian relations had been discussed with the Armenian
president, prime minister and at the Armenian Foreign Ministry.

Firstly, “they concern bilateral relations, which are rather deep
and substantive. They cover political and economic spheres, military
cooperation, culture and education,” Oskanyan stressed.

Secondly, they include regional problems that are particularly
important in view of the events unfolding in the region, in the
direct vicinity from Armenia and Russia. “All this provides for more
intensive Armenian-Russian relations and private consultations,”
Oskanyan went on to say.

Thirdly, there are global problems and cooperation in international
organizations. “The United Nations and the OSCE are undergoing serious
structural reforms, we have common interests and tasks whose solution
calls for cooperation and clarification of positions,” he stressed.

Finally, it is the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh. Oskanyan said that
he had informed Sergei Lavrov about the Armenian side’s approach
“directed at achieving shifts in the settlement process.”