FOREIGN MINISTERS OF ARMENIA AND RUSSIA SATISFIED WITH RESULTS OF NEGOTIATIONS
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17. ARMINFO. All the issues of Armenian-Russian
relations were discussed in the course of Russian Foreign Minister
Sergey Lavrov’s meetings with Armenian leadership. Armenian Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanyan made this statement at a joint press
conference with his Russian colleague in Yerevan, Thursday.
The Armenian Foreign Minister divided the circle of discussed issues
into 4 parts: bilateral relations, economic, military cooperation,
culture. The second circle included in it regional issues, which are
of extreme importance taking into account the developments in the
neighboring states; and it supposes deepening of Armenian-Russian
cooperation. The third circle includes in it global issues, and the
minister mentioned the cooperation at international organizations in
it. In this connection, the minister mentioned the problem of reforms
at the UN and the OSCE. Russia and Armenia are included into these
processes and have common interests, which demands specification of
positions and development of cooperation. “And, finally the issue
of Nagorny Karabakh. I mainly informed the minister of the process’s
development, our positions. I discussed the possible scenarios and how
to do to achieve positive progress in the negotiations, especially,
taking into account the regular meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani
foreign ministers on 2 March. We are satisfied with the results of
the visit and sure that it will become an additional impetus for
further development of relations,” Oskanyan said.
In his turn, Russian foreign minister said that the year was expected
to be rich for partner and ally relations of Armenia and Russia. In
his words, agreements adopted by the Intergovernmental Commission
for Economic Cooperation in December 2004 are to be discussed, that
is, expansion of trade, economic cooperation, including investment
projects. “There are agreements on military and technical cooperation
and we have agreed to intensify the consideration of all the issues
agreed on by the parties in order that our presidents are able to see
their fulfillment during the events dedicated to opening of Russian
Year in Armenia. Besides, the two presidents are expected to meet
in Moscow in the course of festivities on the occasion of the 60th
Anniversary of the Victory over Fascism, contacts of foreign ministers
and other officials are planned,” the minister said.
As to regional problems, the Russian party is interested in settlement
of conflicts within the nearest future and in establishment of
economic, energy, transport cooperation between all the states of the
region, the Russian minister said. He added that specific issues were
discussed. He said that in the issue of reforms at the UN and OSCE,
approaches of the two states practically coincided, like their close
positions in the reforms of CIS. “Of course, enough attention was
paid to settlement of Karabakh conflict. We count upon the so-called
Prague process of regular meetings of Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministers will allow achieving progress, OSCE MG co-chairs are ready
to contribute to this. And we shall do everything for the process
develops successfully and prepares ground for regular talk between
Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents,” the minister said. The agenda
is not in the stage of stagnation. There are no problems in the
Armenian-Russian relations, but they develop constantly demanding
constant attention. We agreed that the two foreign ministries will
control over the fulfillment process of the fundamental agreements
of the presidents, the Russian minister said.