VARTAN OSKANIAN INVITED TO TAKE PART IN CONFERENCE OF FOREIGN MINISTERS
OF COUNTRY-PARTNERS OF EU-EUROPEAN NEIGHBORHOOD POLICY TO BE HELD IN
SEPTEMBER IN BRUSSELS
BRUSSELS, APRIL 28, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
who is in Brussels on a working visit had meetings with Secretary
General of Council of Europe Javier Solana, European Commissioner
for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy Benita
Ferrero-Waldner and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Oli Rehn on April
27. Noyan Tapan was informed about it from RA Foreign Ministry Press
and Information Department.
During the meeting with J. Solana the interlocutors positively
estimated EU-RA cooperation. V. Oskanian expressed Armenian side’s
willingness to deepen political dialogue with EU.
The sides in details touched upon the Nagorno Karabakh settlement
discussing the results of Belgrade stage of Armenian and Azerbaijani
Foreign Ministers’ negotiations. V. Oskanian said that it is possible
to register progress in the future in case of formation of Azerbaijani
side’s political will.
In this context V. Oskanian reaffirmed Armenian side’s position on
GUAM’s resolution in UN General Assembly mentioning resolution’s
negative impact on the negotiations process.
Then they exchanged thoughts over Armenian-Turkish relations, latest
developments of EU’s negotiations with Iran about nuclear programs.
RA Foreign Minister discussed issues related to implementation of
EU-Armenia Actions Plan with Benita Ferrero-Waldner. At the beginning
of the meeting B.
Ferrero-Waldner expressed satisfaction in connection with Armenia’s
involvement in fulfilment of the Actions Plan and said that the
European Commission is waiting for presentation of priorities of
Actions Plan by Armenia.
V. Oskanian stated about the work done in Armenia’s interested
departments in this direction mentioning RA’s intention to implement
the program as efficiently as possible. He said that opening of
European Commission’s full-value mission in Yerevan will greatly
contribute to this. The European Commission’s Commissioner assured
that this issue is on the agenda.
Then the sides discussed issues related to South Caucasian countries,
in particular, the necessity to form atmosphere favorable for regional
cooperation.
In this connection V. Oskanian attached importance to European
Commission’s voicing its position exactly against construction of
Kars-Akhalkalak railway.
The European Commissioner for External Relations touched upon the
upcoming elections in Armenia. The Commissioner expressed satisfaction
in connection with favorable conditions formed in Armenia for activity
of European Parliament’s monitoring mission. The importance of free and
fair elections for further deepening of Armenia’s European integration
was emphasized.
At the end of the meeting B. Ferrero-Waldner told about European
Commission’s initiative to organize a conference of Foreign Ministers
of European Union-European Neighborhood Policy partner countries
on September 3 in Brussels, inviting V. Oskanian to take part in
the conference.
During the meeting with Oli Rehn V. Oskanian discussed regional issues.
Speaking about the current state of Armenian-Turkish relations, RA
Foreign Minister attached importance to opening of Armenian-Turkish
border and withdrawing Article 301 from Turkish Criminal Code. He
also reported that no progress has been registered in Armenian-Turkish
relations lately.
O. Rehn, in his turn, presented the process of Turkey’s membership
to EU and the position of European Commission in this issue.
