TIGRAN SARGSYAN AT US VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY

Panorama.am
17:03 11/10/2008

The Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan who is currently in
United States of America has had a meeting with the Vice President of
the US Dick Cheney. During the meeting Mr. Sargsyan and Mr. Cheney
discussed bilateral relations, prospects and possibilities of their
development, as well as issues of regional security. In particular, the
meeting covered the South Ossetian conflict and its negative effect on
the economy of Armenia; relations of Armenia and Turkey, the visit of
the President of Turkey Abdullah Gul to Armenia, ways of the Karabakh
conflict settlement, implementation of the Millennium Challenge
Corporation’s programs, as well as the international financial crisis.

Speaking of the consequences of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict,
Mr. Sargsyan said that the economy of Armenia has been materially
damaged in the aftermaths of the current conflict about 670 mln USD
as uncollected taxes and delayed investments.

The Prime Minister has affirmed that Armenia is willing to continue
the peace negotiations on Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict in the
frames if OSCE Minsk Group and Madrid principles.

Mr. Sargsyan and Mr. Cheney also discussed the results of the visit
of President of Turkey Abdullah Gul to Yerevan. The Prime Minister
said that the visit might give a positive impulse to the improvement
of Armenian-Turkish relations. At the same time, he said that he
was concerned over the statements made by Gul and the Azeri Foreign
Minister in the UN. Constructive approaches both inside Armenia and on
the international arena are often regarded as weakening of positions
in negotiating process while, in fact, this is expression of political
will and readiness for concessions.