IT IS STILL EARLY TO GIVE FINAL ESTIMATE TO RESULTS OF BELGRADE MEETING, RA FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 20 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN. "The Belgrade meeting was a normal
meeting which was held in a rather calm conditions." Vartan Oskanian,
the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia stated about it at the
April 20 press conference, estimating his meeting with the Minister
of Foreign Affairs recently taken place in Belgrade.

The Minister at the same time mentioned that it is still early to give
a final estimate to that meeting as the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen
"presented their ideas concerning the principles involved in the
negotiation document."

Those, in V. Oskanian’s words, were not agreed yet and were presented
to discussion of the two countries’ Presidents. The Minister mentioned
that only after the Presidents present their position, it will be
clear if "we move forward or do not."

In V. Oskanian’s words, it is supposed that before the parliamentary
elections in Armenia, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen will separately
meet with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. And after
the elections, probably, the Co-Chairmen will visit the region in order
"to discuss the problems in a more detailed way as well as to affirm
the next meeting of the two countries’ Presidents.

As for the statement recently made by him about the issue that "the
conflict sides have never been so close to the conflict solution,"
V. Oskanian mentioned that it must be observed in comparison with the
previous negotiation materials. In his words, the document relating
to the conflict settlement which is being discussed at present is
more realistic as if compared with the previous ones in the sense of
adoption of the sides as it is more balanced and a correct balancing
among different principles exists in that document. "If we compare
with the previous agreements, the agreed issues make the overwhelming
degree in the present document, some issues remain not agreed,"
V. Oskanian said.