VARTAN OSKANIAN: INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MUST CLEARLY SAY TO AZERBAIJAN THAT KARABAKH ISSUE HAS NO MILITARY WAY OF SOLUTION

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 05 2006

VILNIUS, MAY 5, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian participated on May 4 in the conference entitled
“Common Vision for Common Neighborhood” in capital of Lithuania,
Vilnius. The Presidents of Lithuania and Poland made opening speeches
at the conference. At the beginning of the conference, on behalf
of participants, President of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus expressed
condolence over the tragic crash of the Armenian plane. Heads and
Foreign Ministers of a number of Baltic, CIS and Eastern European
countries, other high-ranking officials participated and made
speeches in the conference. In his speech Minister Oskanian first of
all thanked the participants for the words of condolence, then spoke
about political developments in the post-Soviet region. The Minister
presented the settlement process of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict as
well. “Democracy is not an issue to be settled immediatly, it may not
be established in a night. We know and are sure that as far we are
on a right way and are sure that we move forwards, evolutionary and
ascending approach towards democracy is more effective and certain,”
Minister Oskanian said. Speaking about the process of settlement of
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the Minister emphasized that “with
oil reserves and present high prices for oil, the Azerbaijani side,
unfortunately, has come to the conviction or at least states publicly
that they have at hand the variant of solving the problem in the
military way. It will not be easy to go to mutual compromise with such
a thinking. But, they must be clearly told by the EU and international
community that the issue has no military way of solution, and that
necessary mutual compromises must be implemented to reach settlement,
just like ones, Armenia has alreday done.” As Noyan Tapan was informed
by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information Department,
Minister Oskanian had a number of bilateral meetings within the
framework of the conference. The process of negotatians which are at
the final stage of development of the Armenian-EU Actions Plan within
the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy was discussed with
Javier Solana, the High Representative for the EU Common Foreign
and Security Policy. The interlocutors discussed the process and
prospects of the negotiations on the Karabakh conflict settlement as
well. Armenia-OSCE cooperation issues as well as the present stage
of the peaceful settlement process of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
were discussed with OSCE Chairman-in-Office Karel de Gucht. The
Ministers touched upon the Armenia-Belgium relations as well,
discussing possibilities of further development of mutual cooperation.

Minister Oskanian met with Foreign Minister of Romania Razvan Ungureanu
as well. The Ministers discussed issues of bilateral cooperation
as well as issues concerning the “Dialogue and Partnership Forum”
Black Sea conference to take place in Bucharest in coming June.