SERZH SARGSIAN SAYS ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN RELATIONS BECOMING MORE DYNAMIC FROM YEAR TO YEAR

ARMENPRESS
June 26

Armenian-Russian relations are becoming more dynamic, are acquiring
more content from year to year. Armenian President Serzh Sargsian
gave such assessment to the Armenian-Russian partnership at the
meeting on June 25 conducted in the Armenian embassy in Russia with
the well-known political scientists and heads of mass media. The
existing active political dialogue is a resolute factor for boosting
cooperation in all other spheres, he said.

According to him, in the sphere of economy they succeeded in reaching
a sharp increase of investments and trade turnover. The Armenian
president presented the success registered in Armenia as a result of
economic reforms.

Military-technical cooperation between the two countries are being
development within the framework of CSTO. Serzh Sargsian said
that during the recent years a number of important steps have been
undertaken to fulfill the partnership with concrete mechanisms. In
September "Rubezh-2008" first exercises will be conducted in Armenia
during which the joint activities will be developed in case of usage
of force by the CSTO member countries.

"We find that the military-technical partnership within the frameworks
of the CSTO must be consolidated also by the political coordination
of our activity. It at least must exclude the cases of backing such
statement of the third country within the frameworks of the two-sided
relations, which may harm the interests of the alliance," Armenian
president said.

Referring to the humanitarian sphere, S. Sargsian noted that
there are serious expectations from the Humanitarian Council of the
CIS. According to him, the cultural links of the sides, manifestations
of scientific cooperation and partnership in the educational sphere
is the exclusive privilege of the CIS peoples. In this respect,
the Armenian president said, that the mass media, research centers,
civil society institutions have a great role in it.

Presenting the main directions of the Armenian foreign policy,
Serzh Sargsian noted that it is directed towards the development
of multilayer and dynamic relations and active cooperation with the
European establishments and particularly EU within the framework of
the European Neighborhood Policy.

"The main thing in our foreign policy is that we are against possible
controversies and speculations of our partners and we do everything
to smooth and to sharpen the possible issues in the South Caucasian
region," Serzh Sargsian said.

He described Armenia’s foreign policy as policy of
involvement. According to him, Armenia seeks close cooperation with
those international establishments and organizations which are involved
in the South Caucasian region.

Serzh Sargsian said Armenia is concerned with the issues of interrupted
communication and closed border in the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan
refuses to involve in any regional cooperation program because
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. "We assess such approach as
unconstructive. We view regional cooperation as a shorter way to the
solution of conflicts," the president said.

Referring to the Armenian-Turkish relations the Armenian president
said that despite of its European ambitions Turkey continues blockade
of Armenia "basing it on the Armenia’s policy directed towards the
recognition and condemnation of the Armenian genocide and on the
necessity of support to Azerbaijan".

S. Sargsian reminded that Turkey suggested that a commission be
set up for studying the historic facts over the genocide. "We are
not against the conduction of any type of survey including of the
well-known and obvious happenings. But it would have been more logical
if such commission be created after establishing diplomatic relations
and opening of the border. In the opposite case it will become a
tool of suspending the dialogue and controversies," the Armenian
president said.

He once again stated that Armenia is for establishing relations
without pre-conditions.

"Turkey’s wish to become member of the European family is viewed by
us as a promotion of reforms in its society. As a neighboring country
we will be glad to see Turkey correspond to European standards,"
the Armenian president said.

He also told the present about his intention to invite Turkish
president to Armenia to watch together Armenia-Turkey football game
which will take place in September in Yerevan.

The president also referred to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict regulation
issue saying that his meeting with the Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev inspired hope of continuing the negotiations over the basic
principles.

"I am sure that the conflict regulation is possible on the basis of
mutual concessions and mutual agreement," Serzh Sargsian said, adding
that mutual concession is an art of opportunities and in Karabakh
case the solution must stem from the fact that Karabakh was never
part of Azerbaijan. He said that people of Karabakh used the right
to self-determination in the period of collapse of the USSR.

At the end of the meeting Serzh Sargsian expressed hope that mass
media and other institutions will continue active cooperation with the
Armenian colleagues and suggested that the next meeting be conducted
in Yerevan during the coming visit of the Russian president to Armenia.