FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER WELCOMES PROCESS OF ESTABLISHMENT OF RELATIONS BETWEEN ARMENIA AND TURKEY
Noyan Tapan
Oct 8, 2009
PARIS, OCTOBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian,
being in Paris on a working visit, met with French Foreign Minister
Bernard Kouchner on October 7. This was their second meeting this
year. The interlocutors appreciated the friendly, close relations
formed between Armenia and France, attached importance to undertaking
of further steps to develop comprehensive cooperation between the
two countries. The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and France had a
detailed talk over Armenia – European Union relations and their
development prospects.
The interlocutors also discussed the process of Nagorno Karabakh
settlement.
E. Nalbandian appreciated constructive involvement of France as an
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing country.
E. Nalbandian and B. Kouchner also exchanged thoughts over the
normalization process of Armenian-Turkish relations. B. Kouchner
welcoming the process of establishment of relations between Armenia
and Turkey expressed the hope that it will have perceptible results
in the future.
Before the meeting the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and France signed
an agreement between the RA government and French government on
eliminating the demand of having an entrance visa for people having
diplomatic passports.
That agreement is the first step on the way of facilitating the
procedure of receiving entrance visas to EU countries.
According to a report by the RA Foreign Ministry Press and Information
Department, the same day E. Nalbandian took part in the 35th
General Conference of UNESCO on discussion of the main directions
of activity to be carried out by the organization in the coming two
years. E. Nalbandian gave a long speech at the conference touching upon
Armenia-UNESCO cooperation, UNESCO’s role in preservation of cultural
heritage. The RA Foreign Minister condemned the policy of destruction
of Armenian cultural heritage carried out by Azerbaijan at the state
level, against UNESCO’s principles and called the international
community for undertaking joint steps to prevent such actions.
E. Nalbandian met newly elected UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova in
Paris and expressed satisfaction with programs and events implemented
in Armenia with UNESCO’s participation.
E. Nalbandian finishing his working visit to Paris in the October 7
evening left for Kishinev.