Sargsyan may meet with Aliyev at NATO summit – Oskanian

Interfax News Agency, Russia
March 13 2008

YEREVAN

Armenian President-elect Serzh Sargsyan could meet with Azeri
President Ilkham Aliyev during the NATO summit in Bucharest in April
3 – 4, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian told a news
conference on Thursday.

"If the Azeri side agrees, we will definitely use this opportunity,"
Oskanian said. "This will be the first meeting of the two presidents.
This will be an introduction meeting. However, there will be
substantive discussions as well," the minister added.

The co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group are already hard at work to
prepare the meeting, he said.

Oskanian is expected to leave for Vienna on March 14, where he will
discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement with the OSCE Minsk Group co-
chairmen.

Sargsyan will be sworn in on April 9.

Sargsyan may meet with Aliyev at NATO summit – Oskanian (Part 2)

"Sargsyan is ready for the fist contact and dialogue. If the Azeri
side agrees, we will definitely use this opportunity," Oskanian said.

"This will be the first meeting of the two presidents. This will be
an introduction meeting. However, there will be substantive
discussions as well," the minister added.

The Armenian president-elect, who will be sworn in on April 9, will
head the Armenian delegation at the NATO summit, Oskanian said.

Oskanian is expected to leave for Vienna on March 14, where he will
discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement with the OSCE Minsk Group co-
chairmen. The co-chairmen are already hard at work to prepare the
meeting, the minister said.

"The topic of the upcoming discussion is the beginning of
negotiations. The co-chairmen are going to organize a meeting of
Armenian and Azeri leaders as soon as possible," the minister said.

Armenia’s stance in the Nagorno-Karabakh remains unchanged, while the
basic principles of a negotiated settlement are acceptable, Oskanian
said.