ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SUMS UP PRESIDENT’S TALKS WITH AZERI, TURKISH LEADERS

Second TV Channel
May 8 2009
Armenia

[Presenter] The Armenian foreign minister [Edvard Nalbandyan] has
summed up the most notable events of [Armenian President] Serzh
Sargsyan’s visit to Prague. The minister spoke about the latest
meeting in the process of settlement of Nagornyy Karabakh conflict
and explained what are the fundamental principles. The top diplomat
also spoke about the results of the meeting between Sargsyan and
[Turkish President Abdullah] Gul and, counter to false reports of
the Turkish media, assured that there is no arrangement of having a
quadripartite Turkey-Azerbaijan-Armenia-Russia meeting.

[Nalbandyan speaking in Armenian to journalists] First of all I
would like to say that the meeting between the two presidents – the
presidents of Armenia and Turkey – took place in a quite practical
atmosphere and the two presidents agreed to respect the previously
achieved agreements to settle relations without pre-conditions in
reasonable periods [of time]. In connection with this the presidents
have assigned the foreign ministers to continue contacts regarding
steps to be carried out in the future. As for you question – on the
quadripartite meeting – there is no such an issue on the agenda and
this does not in any way correspond to reality.

The word is about the Madrid principles contained in the document
proposed in Madrid – the negotiations are being held around those. The
meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents, I would say,
was useful, in the sense that the sides got more acquainted with the
positions of the other side and I can add that an opportunity emerged
to bring closer positions on separate points. Meetings will continue,
the [OSCE Minsk Group] co-chairs will conduct visits to the region;
if necessary, a meeting at the level of foreign ministers will be held
in order to prepare for a future meeting at the level of presidents,
which may possibly take place in June in St Petersburg.