FOREIGN MINISTER OF ARMENIA EDWARD NALBANDIAN VISITS THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Foreign Ministry
9/090219_praha.html
Feb 19 2009
Armenia

On February 18, Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian visited
the Czech Republic.

Upon arriving in Prague, Edward Nalbandian visited the Senate of the
Parliament of the Czech Republic and had a meeting with PÅ~Yemysl
Sobotka, the President of the Senate.

PÅ~Yemysl Sobotka expressed satisfaction on cooperation between the
Parliaments of the two countries and said that the visit of the Speaker
of Armenian National Assembly to the Czech Republic this year will
give a new impetus to dynamically developing Armenian-Czech relations.

Minister Nalbandian underlined recent positive trends in cooperation
between the two countries and said that Parliaments have an important
role in strengthening and deepening of bilateral relations. Noting
the organization of event dedicated to the 20th anniversary of
Spitak earthquake in Senate of the Czech Republic in December 2008
with support and under the patronage of PÅ~Yemysl Sobotka, Minister
Nalbandian thanked President of the Senate for that initiative.

PÅ~Yemysl Sobotka and Edward Nalbandian also touched upon the relations
between Armenia and the European Union. The two stressed that the EU
"Eastern Partnership" initiative opens new perspectives for deepening
of cooperation.

The agenda of the meeting between Edward Nalbandian and Karel
Schwarzenberg, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic,
the President of the EU Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs
included a wide range of issues concerning bilateral cooperation,
Armenian-European Union relations, regional and international issues.

Ministers Nalbandian and Schwarzenberg highly appreciated recent
intensification of of Armenian-Czech cooperation and stressed the
necessity to enlarge legal field as an important condition for giving
a new impetus to the partnership.

The two touched upon the ways of deepening of economic cooperation. In
that context Armenian Foreign Minister said that the results of
Armenian-Czech business conference held in Yerevan in 2008 prove the
existence of an important potential for deepening of cooperation in
economic area.

The two also had a detailed discussion on different fields of
Armenian-European Union cooperation. Karel Schwarzenberg mentioned that
till the "Eastern Partnership" summit to be held in Prague in May,
the European Commission and the EU Presidency will work out specific
proposals in that direction.

Minister Nalbandian welcomed "Eastern Partnership" initiative and
attached importance to the deepening of cooperation to be taken by
that initiative and the enlargement of areas of interaction.

Armenian Foreign Minister and his Czech counterpart also discussed
recent developments in Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) peace process. In
that context Edward Nalbandian attracted the attention of the President
of the EU Ministerial Council to Azerbaijan’s militaristic policy and
underlined that, it damages the EU steps aimed at the maintenance of
stability and security in the South Caucasus.

Foreign Ministers of Armenia and the Czech Republic also touched upon
the negotiations on normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations. On
behalf of the EU Karel Schwarzenberg expressed support to the steps
initiated by Armenia in that direction.

The meeting between Ministers was followed by the joint press
conference.

On the same day Edward Nalbandian returned Yerevan.