VARTAN OSKANIAN HAS MEETINGS WITH CONDOLEEZZA RICE, DANIEL FRIED, MATTHEW BRYZA AND STEVEN MANN

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 29 2006

WASHINGTON, MARCH 29, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian had a number of meetings with high-ranking
officials of the U.S.

Department of State during his two-days working visit to
Washington. After the ceremony of signing the Millennium Challenge
treaty, he met with U.S.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Assistant Secretary for Europe
and Eurasia Daniel Fried and Deputy Assistant Secretary Matthew Bryza
on March 24. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s
Press and Information Department, issues of bilateral cooperation,
including programs of economic and democratic assistance, were
discussed during the meetings. The sides touched upon regional issues
as well, particularly the problems of energy safety and diversification
of fuels. The issue of settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
and prospects of the negotiation process was also on the agenda, what
became the main theme of the conversation of the meeting taken place
on the same day between Vartan Oskanian and OSCE Minsk Group American
Co-Chairman Steven Mann. V.Oskanian again mentioned that Armenia is
ready to look for a solution through negotiations. V.Oskanian made
a speech on March 28 at the National Press Club of Washington as
well. Minister Oskanian left Washington for New York on March 29 where
meetings with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and other high-ranking
officials are scheduled for the next days.