VARTAN OSKANIAN: EUROPEAN NEIGHBORHOOD POLICY IS IN KEEPING WITH REFORMS PROGRAM IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Aug 29 2006

LJUBLJANA, AUGUST 29, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Vartan Oskanian,
the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia made a speech on August 29
at the "Caspian Oulook – 2008" forum jointly organized by the Foreign
Ministry of Slovenia and the Ljubljana Institute for Strategic
Studies. Participating in the discussions concerning the EU New
Neighborhood Policy, Minister Oskanian spoke in his speech about
cooperation of the EU and Armenia within the framework of the New
Neighborhood Policy of the European Union. The RA Foreign Minister
particularly emphasized the importance of implementation of the Europe
neighborhood policy in the region for establishing peace, stability,
development. In the Minister’s words, the New Neighborhood Policy is
keeping with the programs of reforms in Armenia: it clearly directs
and plans the process of reforms to be implemented in Armenia in the
economic and political spheres in coming years. The Foreign Minister
of Armenia expressed a hope that simultaneous implementation of the
European Neighborhood Policy by the three states of South Caucasus
will help promotion of regional cooperation as well, at the same
time making public processes and ways of settling conflicts more
democratic and transparent. Touching upon the present state of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, Minister Oskanian considered
Azerbaijan’s policy of giving a possible military solution to the issue
or its postponing as one laying obstacles. In the Minister’s words,
the negotiations are on the critical point today, and the international
community must do everything to bring Azerbaijan back to a realistic
and constructive field to seriously discuss those principles which are
on the negotiation table today. EU Commissioner for External Relations
Benita Ferrero Waldner, State Minister of Georgia Georgi Baramidze,
EU Special Representative, Ambassador Peter Semneby, Foreign Minister
of Azerbaijan Elmar Mamedyarov and Foreign Minister of Lithuania Petras
Vaitiekunas also touched upon, in their speeches, issues relating to
relations of the European Union and South Caucasus. As Noyan Tapan was
informed by the Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information Department,
within the framework of the forum, Minister Oskanian met with OSCE
Minsk Group American Co-Chairman Matthew Bryza and Pierre Chevalier,
the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office.

Minister Oskanian will return Armenia on August 30.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress