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

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.