ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
April 6, 2006 Thursday 11:35 PM EST

Russian, Armenian foreign ministers to discuss Karabakh

MOSCOW, April 7

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Armenian counterpart
Vardan Oskanyan will meet on Friday to discuss the settlement of
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Foreign ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said “Russia stands for
the continuation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani dialogue at various
levels, first and foremost between the presidents of both
countries”.

“The participants in the conflict should find a mutually acceptable
solution themselves. Russia is ready to render most active assistance
in the issue both on the bilateral level and as a co-chair of the
OSCE Minsk group, and become a guarantor of the reached agreements”,
Kamynin said.

The spokesman said relations with Armenia “have acquired the
character of strategic and allied partnership of late and distinguish
themselves by a positive development dynamics”.

The talks will also focus on the expansion of bilateral cooperation
in transport, fuel and power-engineering industries, according to
Kamynin.

Oskaryan said Armenia will pay beginning from April 100 US dollars
per 1000 cubic meters of Russian natural gas.

“Currently talks are underway with Russia to ensure that the price
hike does not trigger negative consequences for the population.
However, I do not know what the result will be,” the minister said.