ARMENIAN, RUSSIAN OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS SITUATION IN CAUCASUS
by Tatiana Solopova

ITAR-TASS News Agency
April 4, 2006 Tuesday 01:20 PM EST

Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oksanian is expected to visit Russia
between April 5 and April 7 for a discussion of efforts that his
country may take together with Russia to revitalize the situation in
Southern Caucasus, Mikhail Kamynin, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s
official spokesman said.

“Mr. Oksanian and Russian officials will also consider the conflicts
still existing in the South-Caucasian region and opportunities for
creating an atmosphere of trust, vital for launching a process of
regional cooperation,” Kamynin said.

“Russia calls for more dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan at
various levels and, in the first place, between the two countries’
presidents,” he said. “We’re ready to assist the two countries at the
bilateral level and the Minsk group set up by the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe, since Russia co-chairs that group.”

For Russia, relations with Armenia have moved to the dimension of
strategic and union partnership of late and they have encouraging
dynamics, Kamynin indicated.

“The sides will examine, among other things, practical steps
under agreements Russian and Armenian presidents reached earlier,
especially as regards cooperation in the fuel and energy sector and
direct relations between Russian and Armenian companies,” Kamynin said.

“Special focus will be given to fighting with terrorism and to
coordination of efforts taken to raise the level of political
understanding in that area,” he said.

“Mr. Oksanian and Russian officials will look at the problems of
cooperation in the format of the CIS, especially the CIS Collective
Security Treaty Organization,” Kamynin said.