ARMENIA HAS NOT APPROVED MINSK GROUP’S SUGGESTIONS ON KARABAKH
By A. Haroutiunian
AZG Armenian Daily
19/12/2007
The talks on the November 29-30 meeting of OSCE Foreign Ministers’
summit were a bit harder than last year. Today, on a press conference
Foreign Minister of Armenia Vardan Oskanian reminded that this time
a civil statement was not adopted either. The participants failed
to come to consensus about the improvement of OSCE structure, fight
against terrorism, settlement of conflicts and weapon monitoring.
Oskanian emphasized the discussions of the issues of struggle against
discrimination and abuse, struggle against trafficking, nature and
wildlife protection, as well as the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Foreign Minister also said that during his December 4-5 visit to
Moscow he met with his Russian colleague Sergey Lavrov and discussed
the present state and the perspectives of Armenia-Russia relations
and a number of regional issues. Karabakh conflict was one of the
most important topics of Oskanian-Lavrov conversation.
In Moscow Vardan Oskanian also met with Secretary General of CSTO
Nikolay Bordiuzha in order to discuss the bilateral partnership in
the frameworks of that organization and the issues connected with
Armenia’s chairmanship in CSTO next year.
To foreign diplomatic representatives to Armenia, residing in Moscow,
Mr. Oskanian represented the priorities of the foreign policy of
the Republic of Armenia and the latest progress of peace process
on Karabakh, as well as the social and legislation reforms and the
situation on the eve of presidential elections in Armenia.
On December 7, Strasbourg, met with the members of the European
Council Foreign Ministers Committee Monitoring Group.
On the meeting with Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis the
Foreign Minister of Armenia rose the question of sending a monitoring
mission to Nakhijevan. He was informed that the monitoring of culture
heritage in Nakhijevan shall most probably take place in the first
quarter of 2008. Mr. Oskanian stated that Armenia and Nagonro-Karabkah
are ready for monitoring on their own territory.
In any case, Vardan Oskanian said he is optimistic about the talks on
peace settlement of the Karabakh issue and added that Prime Minister
Serge Sarkisian shares his optimism and is well informed about the
negotiation process. Nevertheless the Foreign Minister informed that
the Armenian Government has not yet approved the OSCE Minsk Group’s
suggestions on Karabakh, made during the meeting in Madrid.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress