Stability in Caucasus benefits Russia, Armenia – FM
By Ksenia Kaminskaya and Tigran Liloyan
ITAR-TASS News Agency
February 16, 2005 Wednesday
YEREVAN, February 16 — Stability in the Caucasus is in the interests
of Russia and Armenia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said
on Wednesday.
He has arrived in Yerevan on a two-day official visit to discuss
“the situation in the Caucasus as a whole”.
“We have an allied and multifaceted relationship with Armenia,”
he said.
“We will discuss the implementation of all agreements reached by the
presidents of our countries,” the minister added.
Lavrov is scheduled to meet with President Robert Kocharyan, Prime
Minister Andranik Margaryan, and Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan
on Thursday.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said a good deal of
attention at the talks would be paid to “the coordination of efforts to
improve the situation in the Caucasus and resolve the conflicts there”.
“This is necessary in order to create an atmosphere of trust for
cooperation in the whole of the Caucasus,” the spokesman said.
Speaking about the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, Yakovenko said Moscow
“welcomes further Armenia-Azerbaijani dialogue at various levels,
foremost between the presidents.”
“The parties to the conflict should find a mutually acceptable solution
themselves,” the spokesman said.
Russia is ready to provide the most active assistance, including as
a co-chairman of the OSCE’s Minsk Group. It is also ready to become
a guarantor of the accord, Yakovenko said.
Moscow and Yerevan will also consider the stepping up of
Russian-Armenian interaction, in particular in resolving Armenia’s
transport problems and in the fuel and energy sector, as well as the
expansion of direct business ties.
“Relations with Armenia have acquired the character of a strategic
and allied partnership in recent years,” Yakovenko noted.
The sides will consider bilateral interaction within the framework
of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Collective Security
Treaty Organisation, the diplomat said.