ARKA News Agency – 07/14/2004

ARKA News Agency
July 14 2004

There can be any new variants of Karabakh conflict settlement – Yuri
Merzlyakov

RA Regular Representative to CE appointed the Chairman of group of
reporters on education, culture, sport, youth and ecology affairs of
CE Ministers Committee

New Iranian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia
gives credentials to RA President

RA NA Speaker receives the German Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary to Armenia on the occasion of the completion of his
diplomatic mission

NKR President meets with OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen

RA President and his spouse visit French Embassy in Yerevan on
occasion of National Day of France

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THERE CAN BE ANY NEW VARIANTS OF KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT – YURI
MERZLYAKOV

YEREVAN, July 14. /ARKA/. There can be any new variants of Karabakh
conflict settlement, OSCE MG Co-Chairman Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia)
stated today in Yerevan. According to him, negotiations are held for
a long time and during this period all possible approaches and
variants were considered and `today all of them can be counted on the
fingers of one hand’. `Everything proceeds just as earlier, but today
we have new situation, new conditions’, Merzlyakov said. He also said
that negotiations have confidential character and represent
consultations that develop the agenda.
At this Maerzlyakov aid that during negotiations the parties did not
discuss withdrawal of Armenian forces from concrete Azeri territories
as it is represented by Azeri mass media. L.D. –0–

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RA REGULAR REPRESENTATIVE TO CE APPOINTED THE CHAIRMAN OF GROUP OF
REPORTERS ON EDUCATION, CULTURE, SPORT, YOUTH AND ECOLOGY AFFAIRS OF
CE MINISTERS COMMITTEE

YEREVAN, July 14. /ARKA/. On July 13, CE Ministers Committee
appointed RA Regular Representative to CE Christian Ter-Stepanian the
chairman of group of reporters on education, culture, sport, youth
and ecology affairs of CE Ministers Committee, RA MFA told ARKA.
Armenian representative will replace representative of France on this
position. Activities dedicated to 50th anniversary of European
culture convention will start since December 2004 and will last
throughout 2005. Besides, 2005 is declared a European Year of
Citizenship by Means of Education. RA MFA statement says that new
appointment is also important because it took place several months
ahead of scheduled 3rd summit of CE States’ heads on May 2005.
CE Ministers Committee acts through several reporters and working
groups. L.D. –0–

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NEW IRANIAN AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY TO ARMENIA
GIVES CREDENTIALS TO RA PRESIDENT

YEREVAN, July 14. /ARKA/. New Iranian Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary to Armenia Ali Resa Hakikyan gave credentials to RA
President Robert Kocharian in Yerevan. According to RA President’s
Press Service Department, the Ambassador said that the official
Teheran highly appreciates the attention of the President to Armenia
and the development of bilateral relations between Iran and Armenia.
Kocharian congratulated the Ambassador on his appointment. The
President appreciated the present level of Armenian-Iran relations
and was for their continuation. According to Kocharian, together with
active political contacts Armenian-Iran economic co-operation
acquired new quality, including the development of infrastructures.
There are some important programs on the stage of realization, as
President said.
The parties noted that the coming official visit of the President of
Iran Mohammad Khatami to Armenia will become a serious impulse for
the further strengthening of bilateral relations. Also the last
events in the region were discussed and the issues of Karabakh
conflict settlement. The parties estimated Armenian-Iran relations as
an important factor to ensure peace in the region. A.H. -0–

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RA NA SPEAKER RECEIVES THE GERMAN AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND
PLENIPOTENTIARY TO ARMENIA ON THE OCCASION OF THE COMPLETION OF HIS
DIPLOMATIC MISSION

YEREVAN, July 14. /ARKA/. RA NA Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan received
German Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia
Hans-Wulf Bartels on the occasion of the completion of his diplomatic
mission. According to RA NA Press Service and Public Relations
Department, Bahgdasaryan wished Hans-Wulf Bartels luck in his new
work, noting the great input of the Ambassador in the development of
the German Armenian relations. Bartels by attaching inportance to the
economic development of Armenia noted that Germany is ready to
continue to support development programs in Armenia. He spoke about
the achievement of the country in the policy of Euro integration, and
emphasized the importance of peaceful settlement of the conflict and
development of democracy in Armenia. Bartels assured that the new
Ambassador will contribute to the development of intergovernmental
and interparliamentary relations as well. A.H. – 0–

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NKR PRESIDENT MEETS WITH OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRMEN

YEREVAN, July 14. /ARKA/. NKR President Arkadi Ghukasyan met with the
Chairmen of OSCE Minks Group on Nagorno Karabakh which arrived in
Nagrono Karabakh on the eve. As NKR President Information Department
told ARKA, during the meeting with yuri Mrzlyakov (Russia), Steven
Mann (USA) and Henry Jacolin (USA) Ghukasyan confirmed the position
of Officail Stepanakert around the main principles of the settlement
of the Nagornio Karabakh conflict, mentioning once more that without
participation of Karabakh side on parity level the final settlement
of the conflict is practically impossible. As it is mentioned in the
press release, the most of the negotiations was held behind the
closed doors.
The Co-Chairmen also met with the representatives of NGOs of Nagorno
Karabakh. Today Yuri Merzlyakov, Steven Mann and Henry Jacolin left
Stepenakert. T.M. -0–

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RA PRESIDENT AND HIS SPOUSE VISIT FRENCH EMBASSY IN YEREVAN ON
OCCASION OF NATIONAL DAY OF FRANCE

YEREVAN, 14 July. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharian and his
spouse visited the French Embassy in RA on occasion of the National
holiday of France – the storming of the Bastille. As RA President
Press Service told ARKA, Kocharian congratulated the employees of the
Embassy and expressed a confidence that the friendly relations
between two countries will continue developing successfully. T.M.
-0–