Armenian foreign minister details talks in USA
Azg, Yerevan
10 Mar 07, p3
Excerpt from report by Aghavni Harutyunyan in Armenian newspaper Azg
published on 10 March headlined "Iran was not specifically discussed
with Condoleezza Rice" and subheaded "Oskanyan will remain minister as
long as Kocharyan wants"
After briefing on the recent visits to and from Armenia, Armenian Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanyan has said [at his news conference in Yerevan] he will
soon travel to Switzerland with three key goals: to make a speech at the [UN]
human rights committee, meet Swiss authorities and meet Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will pay a
visit to Armenia in the first week of April.
[Passage omitted: criticism of US human rights report on Armenia –
covered] At the meeting of the council [as published, presumably UN
human rights committee], Oskanyan will present the developments
regarding the human rights developments in Armenia, our issues, the
improvement of the legislation, including human rights issues in
connection with Nagornyy Karabakh, the issue of the Armenian monuments
in [Azerbaijani exclave of] Naxcivan, the issue of [Turkish journalist
of Armenian descent] Hrant Dink’s murder and so on.
Incidentally, a UNESCO delegation will soon visit the region and
Naxcivan. No specific dates are mentioned, but they [the delegation
members] will pay a visit and express their opinion about the
destruction of the khachkars [Armenian cross stones] and other
Armenian monuments.
Speaking about the "frozen conflicts" resolution proposed by the GUAM
(Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova) countries [at the UN],
Oskanyan said that the common approach of the powers interested in our
region and Karabakh issue is not positive with regard to that
resolution.
"Everybody finds that resolution is unnecessary and may cause
additional complications in the Karabakh issue. I tried to explain its
negative consequences to the UN secretary general [in New York], and
Armenia’s possible stance if the resolution is adopted. The main
approach is that if the GUAM countries wish to present those conflicts
to a greater audience – the UN member states – a discussion without a
resolution would be the best way to do it, because today, the
processes around these conflicts are going on in other formats, and it
makes no sense for the UN to adopt a resolution on a conflict that is
under the OSCE format in our particular case, especially that the
conflicts differ in terms of their essence, history and reality," he
said.
Recently, the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border was discussed at
his [Oskanyan’s] meeting with US State Secretary Condoleezza Rice. The
USA is sincere in its efforts to open the border, according to
Oskanyan, and the USA will continue working in that direction. The
Nagornyy Karabakh issue was not discussed in details with Rice because
OSCE Minsk Group US co-chair Matthew Bryza was also present at the
meeting.
Following his meeting with Rice, Oskanyan discussed Karabakh with
Bryza in more details, speaking about his forthcoming meeting with
Mammadyarov in Geneva. Since [OSCE Minsk Group] French co-chair
Bernard Fassier is also holding discussions on the same topic in the
region these days, it makes Oskanyan think that "preparatory work is
done for the Geneva meeting". Oskanyan said that if Azerbaijan "does
not cause problems, there are reasons to believe that the meeting will
have positive outcome." In addition, the co-chairs want the presidents
meet as soon as possible following the [Armenian] parliamentary
election [on 12 May].
Replying to a question from Azg whether he had discussed Iran with the
US state secretary, Oskanyan said he had discussed regional issues but
not Iran specifically. [Passage omitted: Azerbaijan’s statements on
Karabakh talks do not reflect reality of talks – covered]
Regarding Oskanyan’s future in politics: he is not in any of the party
lists of candidates [for parliament]. It makes no sense to be included
in a party list if you have no intention to work in parliament. "There
was no such an intention, and what’s more, there was no such
proposal. As long as the republic’s president wants me to work until
the end of his term, I will continue to work. And only time will show
what I will do after the election."