FMs OF OCSE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRING COUNTRIES REITERATE THEIR RESOLUTE VIEWPOINT THAT KARABAKH CONFLICT HAS NO MILITARY SOLUTION

ARMENPRESS
Dec 5, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS: The working visit of Edward Nalbandian
to Helsinki continues. Armenian Foreign Ministry press service told
Armenpress that on December 4 in the morning the meeting of the council
of CSTO foreign ministers took place on the initiative of the chairman
of the council, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

Opening the meeting Armenian Foreign Minister said that within the
framework of the international conferences the meetings of the CSTO
foreign ministers give opportunity to consolidate the partnership
and combination of the activity of the CSTO foreign ministries.

The ministers discussed issues connected with OSCE reforms and
European security system, exchanged thoughts over the agenda of the
16th session of the council of the OSCE ministers.

On the same day Edward Nalbandian met with his Turkish counterpart
Ali Babacan. During the meeting the sides continued negotiations
directed towards regulation of Armenian-Turkish relations.

The two ministers agreed to continue the meetings.

During the meeting of Edward Nalbandian and Luxemburg Foreign Minister
Jan Aselborn the interlocutors discussed Armenia-EU relations. With
the request of J. Aselborn, Armenian foreign minister presented the
latest developments over Nagorno Karabakh conflict regulation.

Next meeting of the Armenian foreign minister was with his Swiss
counterpart Micheline Calmy Rey. They discussed issues on further
development of relations between the two countries as well as a number
of regional and international issues.

On December 4 meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers
and foreign ministers of Russia and France Sergey Lavrov and Bernard
Kouchner and Assistant U.S. State Secretary Daniel Fried took place. At
the end of the meeting the foreign ministers of the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairing countries presented a joint declaration in which they
reiterated their resolute viewpoint that Karabakh conflict does not
have a military solution and called on the parties to reconfirm their
readiness over the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

Today Edward Nalbandian is expected to deliver a speech at the session
of the council of OSCE ministers and meet with Foreign Minister of
Finland, OSCE chairing country, Alexander Stub.