AZERBAIJANI FOREIGN MINISTER TO LEAVE FOR STRASBOURG TOMORROW

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 16 2006

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov will fly to Strasbourg
tomorrow to attend the 116th session of the Council of Europe Committee
of Foreign Ministers on 18 and 19 May.

The Ministry told APA that human rights and cooperation between the
Council of Europe and the European Union will be priority on the
agenda. The Russian Federation will take over the presidency of the
Committee of Ministers from Romania, for a period of six months.

At the invitation of Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis,
the Ministers will hold an informal meeting with Martti Ahtisaari,
the United Nations Special Envoy for the future status of Kosovo. The
Ministers will also discuss other major priorities resulting from the
Council of Europe’s Third Summit in Warsaw, namely: the reinforcement
of the Council’s action in support of democracy and good governance,
the development of intercultural dialogue and the Organisation’s
process of internal reform.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, will present the priorities
for his presidency at the end of the session.

Within the session, Elmar Mammadyarov and his Armenian counterpart
Vardan Oskanyan will hold next round of negotiating process for the
settlement of the Nagorno Garabagh conflict in the framework of the
Prague process. The Ministers will exchange views on new proposals
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs presented to the conflicting sides in early
May. It will be determined after the meeting of the two Ministers
whether there will be a need for the meeting of the Azerbaijani and
Armenian Presidents.

Minister Mammadyarov will also attend GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine,
Azerbaijan and Moldova) Foreign Ministers meeting in Kiev on 21
May.