KARABAKH ISSUE SOLUTION REMAINS PRIORITY TASK-ARMENIA PRESIDENT
by Tigran Liloyan

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
September 21, 2006 Thursday

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said on Thursday that a "just
settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh issue remains a priority task."

He spoke in the Armenian capital during a military parade on the
occasion of the 15th anniversary of the republic’s independence.

In the words of the president, the settlement "can be based only on
the recognition and respect of the right of the Karabakh population
to self-determination." "Nothing should threaten independence and
stable development of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic," stressed the
Armenian president.

"In the foreign policy sphere Armenia has shown itself as a stable,
reliable and predictable partner," the head of state emphasised.

"We are successfully deepening the country’s international integration
at the same time preserving and strengthening traditional ties,"
Kocharyan stressed.

The history of 15 years of Armenia’s statehood included a war, energy
crisis, blockade and all the difficulties of the transitional period,
the president pointed out. "Armenia today is a stably developing
state," he went on to say. According to Kocharyan, the country "is
successfully implementing reforms in all spheres and stably high
tempos of economic growth are turning Armenia into a country of new,
wider possibilities." He said, "This is of vital importance, because
a competitive and efficient economy is the most important guarantee
for building of a truly democratic state."

In the words of the Armenian president, the army "today is our
pride." According to him, "The Armenian Armed Forces ensure reliable
defence of the motherland of the whole Armenian nation."

Among the country’s priority tasks the head of state named "overcoming
poverty, ensuring a new quality of life and equal development across
the country’s territory."

Kocharyan said the contribution of the Armenian diaspora outside the
country to the formation of the Armenian state is "priceless."