RA FOREING MINISTER STARTS NUMBER OF MEETINGS WITH TOP LEADERSHIP OF
LEBANON AND LOCAL ARMENIAN COMMUNITY
BEIRUT JULY 1, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Vartan Oskanian, the RA
Foreign Minister who is on a three-day visit in Beirut, started a
number of meetings with the top leadership of Lebanon on June 30. A
wide circle of issues put on the Armenian-Lebanese agenda is envisaged
to be discussed during the meetings with General Emil Lahud, the
President of the Republic of Lebanon; Nabih Berri, the Chairman of the
Parliament; Najib Mikatti, the Prime Minister; and Mahmoud Hammoud,
the Foreign Minister. The meetings started in the morning, with the
conversation with Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud. The Foreign
Ministers discussed a number of issues of bilateral and international
importance. Bilateral satisafction was expressed for significant
successes have been fixed in the sense of mutually beneficial
cooperation in different international instances since the
establishment of diplomatic relations. Meetings of the Foreign
Ministers of two countries have taken place regularly. In the
direction of activization of mutual contacts, regular consultations
envisaged by a corresponding interdepartment report signed in 2000 are
attached importance. Highly estimating the traditional close ties and
friendship between the two peoples, the Ministers mentioned the
importance the two countries attached to the mutual relations. Then,
they presented their approaches concerning a number of international
issues, particularly, concerning the UN reforms and developments of
the Near East. Minister Oskanian briefly touched upon the settlement
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict as well as the Armenian-Turkish
relations. As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s
Press and Information Department, at the meeting with Prime Minister
Najip Mikatti, Minister Oskanian congratulated him for supporting
greatly to keeping stability and peace of the country during the short
terms of his officiating as well as for organizing the parliamentary
elections at a high level in a short time. Though it is a transitional
government, and a new one will be formed soon, hence, during the
exchange of opinions with the Prime Minister, it was reitereted that a
dynamic development of the Armenian-Lebanese ties will be secured by
any Lebanese Government. In midday, the RA Foreign Minister visited
the private residence of the family of Rafik Hariri, the former Prime
Minister of Lebanon, and the Prime Minister’s wife and son, Saadedi
Hariri, the leader of the “Future” Movement, a MP, and, on his behalf
and behalf of the authorities of Armenia, again presented condolence
with Hariri’s rough murder. The Minister mentioned that Armenia
seriously condemned that inhuman terrorism action and other terrors
followed it. Refering to personal warm relations with Rafik Hariri,
V.Oskanian mentioned that martyr Prime Minister always was a great
friend of the Armenian people and Armenia. His three visits to
Armenia, the last of which took place in April, 2004, are the evidence
of it. The Minister especially expressed satisfaction on the occasion
of practical agreements of the Armenian-Lebanese Intergovernmental
Economy Commission carried out under Hariri’s patronage during his
last visit. The participants of the meeting expressed readiness to
continue the cooperation in the direction of development of the
Armenian-Lebanese relations. Then, Vartan Oskanian, accompanied by
Areg Hovhannisian, the RA Ambassador to Lebanon, left for the Martyrs’
Square of Beirut and laid a wreath to Rafik Hariri’s grave. Four
Armenian Deputies of the parliamentary bloc headed by Saad Hariri were
also present at the ceremony. On the same day, Minister Oskanian
visited the Armenian Catholic Patriarchy as well, where he had a
conversation with Catholicos-Patriarch Nerses Bedros Tarmuni and
representatives of the Armenian Catholic Community about a number of
issues the Lebanese Armenians are interested in, about the
Armenian-Diasporan ties as well as the Armenian-Turkish relations.
After the midday, V.Oskanian’s visit to the Haykazian University of
Beirut is envisaged, where he will meet with the lecturers’ and
professors’ staff and in the evening, he will deliver a lecture before
the Lebanese Armenians at the hall of the Armenian Gospel
Church. Later, in honour of the Foreign Minister of Armenia, a
receiption will be organized at the RA Embassy.