ARMENIAN PRESIDENT MEETS WITH JOSE MANUEL BARROSO AND JAVIER SOLANA
ARMENPRESS
May 8, 2009
PRAGUE, MAY 8, ARMENPRESS: President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan met
today in the morning with the President of the European Commission
Jose Manuel Barroso and EU High Representative for the Common Foreign
and Security Policy Javier Solana.
"Our meeting with the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan was very
constructive and interesting," J. Solana told the reporters after the
meeting. Among the discussed issues was the cooperation within the
frameworks of Eastern Partnership. "We also discussed those issues
which exist in your region and the solution of which is important
not only for Armenia but for the security and stability of the whole
region," he noted.
Referring to the question whether the conflicts existing in the
region will impede the implementation of the programs within Eastern
Partnership, J. Solana said that one of the main objectives of the
initiative is bringing peoples closer to each other for discussing
common issues. "All the existing difficulties must be discussed and
the opportunities of their solutions are big which is important for
Eastern Partnership as well which also needs to form trust," he noted.
Referring to Armenian-Turkish relations, Solana said that the process
of dialogue continues and the European establishments have great hope
that they will proceed according to the achieved arrangement.
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan assessed bilateral meetings
of the Armenian President constructive and essential. According to
him, they were effective both from the point of view of development
of bilateral relations and in respect of discussion of different
regional and international issues.
Referring to the meeting of the Armenian and Turkish presidents,
Edward Nalbandyan said that it passed in a quite working atmosphere
during which the two presidents agreed to respect those arrangements
which have been previously reached – to normalize relations without
preconditions and within sensible time. In this respect the presidents
assigned the two foreign ministers to continue contacts on further
steps.
Edward Nalbandyan rejected information about the meeting of
the Armenian, Azerbaijani, Turkish and Russian presidents. "This
information does not correspond to reality, there is no such an issue
in the agenda," Armenian foreign minister assured.
As to the Prague Summit, during which the Eastern Partnership was
launched, Edward Nalbandyan said that it is just the beginning which
will give the partner countries an opportunity to establish closer
ties, deepen and develop relations, become closer with the EU. The
foreign minister said that cooperation with each state will be formed
based on how the partner country will be ready, will have wish and
undertake steps towards boosting and deepening the relations. It is
expected that once in two years meetings will be held on the level
of presidents, once in a year on the level of foreign ministers.
Speaking about basic principles of the Karabakh conflict regulation,
Edward Nalbandyan clarified that the principles are the ones included
in the Madrid document. According to him, the meeting of the Armenian
and Azerbaijani presidents yesterday was useful in respect that
the sides got acquainted which each other’s approaches closer and
an opportunity has been created to make the positions of parties
closer over separate issues. The foreign minister said that the
meetings will continue, the co-chairs will be visiting the region,
in case of necessity the foreign ministers will meet to prepare the
next meeting of the presidents which is expected to take place in
June in Saint Petersburg.