RA FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH LEBANESE PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN OF
PARLIAMENT IN BEIRUT

BEIRUT, JULY 4, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Vartan Oskanian who is
on a three-day visit in Beirut, met with Emil Lahud, the President of
the Republic of Lebanon on July 1. Passing RA President Robert
Kocharian’s greetings, Vartan Oskanian mentioned that Armenia followed
the last months developments in friendly Lebanon with concern, and is
happy that stability is re-established in the country in what
President Emil Lahud’s personal efforts were also decisive. As for the
Armenia-Lebanon interstate relations, the Minister mentioned that
during the last years, the existing political cooperation of a high
level is summed up by the mutual interest of business circles as well,
owing to what Lebanese investments in Armenia are significantly
increased in separate spheres, particularly in small and middle
business. Then the parties exchange opinions around a number of
international and regional issues of mutual interest. Minister
Oskanian briefly presented the present negotiation process,
developments and prospects of the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict as well as the state of the Armenian-Turkish relations and
approaches of Armenia in the sense of their settlement. Visiting the
Parliament of lebanon, V.Oskanian congratulated Nabih Berri, on the
occasion of having been re-elected for the honorary post of the
Chairman of the Parliament. Mutual satisfaction was expressed with the
process of the Armenian-Lebanese interparliamentary cooperation
founded in 1993, which has been of continuable character: mutual
visits of the Chairmen of the Parliaments took place, Deputy Groups
for Interparliamentary Friendship were created. Issues connected with
strengthening of practical ties between the Parliaments, activization
of mutual visits in future were discussed. In that sense, Nabih Berri
attached importance to the role of the Lebanese Parliament MPs of the
Armenian origin, mentioning that, in general, the influnceable
Armenian community of Lebanon is a tying bridge between the two
countries. At the 2005 last p! arliamentary elections, 6 delegates of
the Armenian community, who represent the ARF (2 mandates), Liberal
Democratic Party and Social-Democratic “Hunchak” Party as well as AGBU
and the Catholic community, received deputy mandates. As Noyan Tapan
was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information
Department, on the same day, V.Oskanian visited Aram I, Catholicos of
the Great House of Cilicia. Opinions were exchanged around issues
concerning the Armenians in the present world, around the Armenia-
Diaspora relations and prospects of the development of Armenia. His
Holiness presented his viewpoints and interpretations about the
developments of Lebanon. V.Oskanian informed Aram I about the present
social-economic state of Armenia, main directions of the foreign
policy of Armenia as well as the process of the settlement of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict. In the evening, a solemn ceremony dedicated
to the 50th anniversary of the Haykazian University was envisaged at
the BIEL Center of Beirut. The Haykazian educational institution was
founded in 1955, it acted as a college up to 1991. In 1992 the
institution was named Haykazian College University. In 1996, by a
decision of the Ministry of Culture and Higher Education of Lebanon it
was renamed Haykazian University. That is the only higher education
institution in the reality of the Diaspora. At present, the four
faculties of the University annually give 650 graduates with about 40
specializations. Meetings with of the Lebanese Armenian party and
union heads and a visit to Armenian-populated district of Aynchar were
envisaged for the next day. V.Oskanian’s visit is widely covered by
the Lebanese press.