ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH PRESIDENT AND FOREIGN MINISTER OF KAZAKHSTAN IN ASTANA

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 1 2006

ASTANA, JUNE 1, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The RA Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian is on a two-day official visit to the Republic of
Kazakhstan on June 1-2. During a meeting with the Foreign Minister
of Kazakhstan Kasimzhomart Tokayev on June 1, the sides discussed
a number of issues of bilateral and international importance. The
meeting participants stated their satisfaction at the current
level of political relations between the two countries. They
expressed mutual interest in further extension of economic
cooperation, which is promoted by activities of the Armenian-Kazakh
intergovernmental economic commission, as well as by the legal field
formed and the absence of political disagreements between Armenia
and Kazakhstan. Minister Oskanian attached importance to meetings
of Armenian and Kazakh businessmen and to cultural events in both
coutries in terms of activization of bilateral trade and economic
links and offering the two peoples an opportunity to know each other
better. The ministers pointed out the importance of mutually beneficial
cooperation within the framework of the CIS, Collective Security
Treaty Organization (CSTO) and Eurasian Economic Cooperation, as well
as various international organizations. The meeting participants
paid special attention to energy and transport problems. In this
connection Minister Tokayev presented Kazakhstan’s position on the
issue of the country’s involvement in a number of regional programs,
particularly in Caspian regional projects. Taking into account the
fact that Kazakhstan intends to hold the OSCE Chairmanship in 2009,
V. Oskanian presented to the Kazakh foreign minister the recent
developments of Karabakh conflict’s peaceful settlement. At the
conclusion of the meeting, Minister Oskanian invited his Kazakh
counterpart to pay a visit to Armenia at a time suitable for him. On
the same day, the Armenian foreign minister had a meeting with the
President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and made a speech before
students of the Institute of Diplomacy. According to the RA MFA Press
and Information Department, Minister Oskanian will meet with members
of the Armenian community in Almaty on June 2, after which he will
return to Armenia.