ARMENIAN LEADER, EU OFFICIALS DISCUSS TIES, KARABAKH

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan,
2 Oct 06

President Robert Kocharyan today received the delegation of the EU
Troika headed by Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja. The president
noted that Armenia-EU institutional relations were established in 1999,
when Finland was the EU chair.

Stressing the importance of the successful completion of consultations
on the EU-Armenia New Neighbourhood Action Plan, Robert Kocharyan
noted that Armenia is seriously committed to carrying out consistent
and coordinated reforms.

The Armenian president hopes that the EU’s aspiration to include
the whole region in the programme [EU’s Neighbourhood Policy] will
not prevent the sides from officially adopting the programme in
November 2006.

The Finnish foreign minister said that the EU attaches great importance
to progress and democratic development in South Caucasus.

The sides stressed the importance of conducting free and fair elections
in Armenia.

They also exchanged opinions on Armenian-Turkish relations in the
context of Turkey-EU membership talks. The Armenian president and the
EU Troika also discussed developments in the Karabakh peace process.

Robert Kocharyan said that conflicts like the Karabakh one can be
resolved exclusively by talks and discussions and never by resolutions
and voting.

[Video showed the meeting]