Month: April 2007

RUSSIA-ARMENIA COOPERATION LEVEL HIGH – PRESIDENT

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
April 4, 2007 Wednesday

Armenia’s President Robert Kocharian and Russia’s Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov highly assessed the current level of bilateral
cooperation in all fields.

The parties discussed the prospects of the Russian-Armenian relations,
the presidential press service said.

Kocharian and Lavrov stressed that the high level of bilateral
cooperation provided opportunities for broader partnership.

They focused on possible joint economic projects that could involve
other countries in the region.

The two sides touched upon local problems and options of their
solutions, the press service said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

REPORT ON MISSING PEOPLE IN CAUCASUS IS NOT INCLUDED IN PACE SPRING AGENDA

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.04.2007 15:49 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The report on problems concerning missing people in
the south Caucasus is not included in the preliminary agenda of PACE
(Parliamentarian Assembly of the Council of Europe) spring session,
PACE rapporteur on issues concerning missing people in the South
Caucus Leo Platvoet stated. He added his report may be included till
April 15. L. Platvoet stressed that at his part he has done everything
possible to include the report in the agenda of the coming session.

"I am not a member of the commission, which determines the agenda
of sessions. It has decided that the greater part of spring session
will be devoted to discussions around situation with human rights in
Europe," he stated. At the same time Leo Platvoet expressed hope his
report will be included in the agenda.

Mr. Platvoet added if this does not happen the report will not be
postponed till summer session and will be discussed at the session
of PACE Permanent Commission, which will be held May 24 in Belgrade,
APA reports.

RUSSIA FM WINDING UP OFFICIAL VISIT TO ARMENIA WED

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
April 4, 2007 Wednesday

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday is winding up
his official visit to Armenia and departs for a working visit to
Turkmenistan in order to discuss with the country’s leadership issues
related to the development of bilateral cooperation.

Lavrov’s talks in Yerevan with his Armenian colleague Vartan Oskanian
focused, among other things, on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

In the words of the Russian minister, the conflict "is qualifying
for the unique status, because in the practical sense the interests
of the United States, Russia, the EU do not contradict each other,
as well as the conflicting sides."

"A specific project has been worked out within the OSCE Minsk group
that makes it possible to untie the knot, but the Armenian and
Azerbaijani leadership have the final say," Lavrov stressed. "We
highly assess the sides’ efforts to settle the conflict," he said.

"Russia will be ready to act as a guarantor of the agreements," the
Russian diplomacy head noted. "We want a quick conflict settlement and
hope that the sides will manage to reach agreements on Nagorno-Karabakh
in the near future," Lavrov pointed out.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said that the
programme of Lavrov’s visit to Turkmenistan "envisages meetings with
President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov and Turkmen Foreign Minister
Rashid Meredov."

The sides "will consider the state of and prospects for the development
of bilateral relations in the economic sphere," according to Kamynin.

"The Russian side considers necessary to take a number of additional
steps in order to make relations in this sphere more stable and
sustained, more fully use with this end in view the two countries’
rich potential," the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman pointed out.

"In Ashgabat the sides will exchange views on international problems,
the situation in the Central Asian region, on the settlement of the
Caspian Sea legal status," Kamynin said.

ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN RELATIONS ON HIGH LEVEL

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.04.2007 16:50 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian-Russian relations are on high level
and their development and deepening is evident, Russian Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov stated to a joint press conference with RA
Acting Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian in Yerevan. He said those
15 years since the establishment of bilateral ties between the
two countries, as well as those 10 years after signing the Great
Agreement on cooperation between Armenia and Russia, became an
important stage in Armenian-Russian relations. "The 10-15 year term
is not a big one for the relation between Russia and Armenia, our
friendship and cooperation has a history of centuries. Today we are
strategic partners, Armenia is a CSTO active member-state in spite of
the fact that the country is included in NATO programs. Armenia and
Russia actively cooperate in all spheres – in economy, humanitarian
sector, and culture. Presidents Vladimir Putin and Robert Kocharian
spoke about perspectives and enlargement of bilateral ties during
their meeting in Sochi," the RF FM underscored.

In his part Vartan Oskanian stressed that the negotiation with his
Russian counterpart was productive. He noted they both discussed a
wide circle of regional and international problems, as well as the
issues concerning the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and situation around
Iran. "The agenda of the meeting was very large, particularly we
accentuated cooperation in security issues, transport communications
and energy sphere," the RA Acting FM underlined.

ARMENIA AND RUSSIA’S STANCE ON IRANIAN PROBLEM FULLY COINCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.04.2007 17:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia and Russia’s stance on Iranian problem fully
coincide, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated to a joint
press conference with RA Acting Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian in
Yerevan. "Russia will not accept forceful solutions to any problems
and conflicts. Moreover that the UN Security Council has clearly
fixed legal frames in Iranian question. And if a decision occurs to
somebody’s mind to solve the problem forcefully, he will have to do
with UN SC," the RF FM stressed.

RUSSIA’S LAVROV TO MEET WITH ARMENIAN PRESIDENT

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
April 4, 2007 Wednesday

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet with Armenian
President Robert Kocharian before he ends his visit to Yerevan on
Wednesday.

His visit to Armenia is timed to coincide with the 15th anniversary
of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

On Tuesday, Lavrov met with his Armenian counterpart Vartan Oskanian,
who highly assessed Russian-Armenian relations.

"We’ve discussed a wide range of bilateral relations and prospects
for the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement," Oskanian said after
the talks.

He pointed out that Lavrov "made clear Russia’s position on many
international problems, mainly in relation to Kosovo, Iran, the CIS
and OSCE reforms."

Lavrov hailed the high level of bilateral relations and effective
cooperation within the framework of international organizations.

"Russia plays an important and constructive role in settling the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict," Oskanian said. "We highly assess the
role and position of Russia that not only supports the two parties’
consent, but also is ready to be a guarantor of bilateral agreements."

Later in the day Lavrov will visit the Armenian Apostolic Church to
meet with Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II. He will
also meet with students and professors of the Yerevan State University.

The next leg of his visit will be Turkmenistan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUSSIAN FM HOPES UNIQUENESS OF KARABAKH CONFLICT WILL HELP TO SOLVE IT

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.04.2007 17:06 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "The Nagorno Karabakh conflict is unique in its
nature and it is the only conflict, where interests of Russia, the
United States and OSCE do not contradict each other, Russian Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov stated to a joint press conference with RA
Acting Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian in Yerevan.

He said the OSCE Mink Group has worked out such a document for settling
the conflict that a lot of other conflicting countries would envy. "I
hope exactly this uniqueness will help Baku and Yerevan to reach a
new level of settlement. Authorities of Armenia and Azerbaijan must
make final decision, but mediator countries, including Russia, will
be guarantees of commitments reached during the negotiation process,"
Sergey Lavrov underscored.

In his part RA Acting Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said still
there is no agreement on principal issues of the settlement. "Exactly
principles of settlement become a stumbling block. At the coming April
meeting with Azeri FM talks over these issues will be continued, which
will allow the Co-Chairs to begin preparation works for a meeting
between Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan after parliamentarian
elections in Armenia," Vartan Oskanian said.

SERGEY LAVROV: WE SHOULD NOT DRAW PARALLELS BETWEEN KOSOVO AND KARABAKH

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.04.2007 17:33 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "We should not draw parallels between Kosovo and
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, and generally there are no similar
two conflicts in the world," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
stated to a joint press conference with RA Acting Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian in Yerevan. He said, when Marti Ahtisaari’s report is
introduced in the UN Security Council Russia will vote against. "We
will agree the variant, which will satisfy both Pristina and Belgrade,"
the RF FM stressed. He also noted, the international law is the basic
rule for settling conflicts.

In his part RA Acting Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian also underlined
that every conflict should be solved separately and every conflict
has its own peculiarities.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT APPOINTS NEW PM

Xinhua News Agency , China
April 4, 2007 Wednesday 1:30 PM EST

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan on Wednesday appointed Defense
Minister Serzh Sarkissian as the country’s new prime minister, the
Itar-Tass news agency reported.

Former Prime Minister Andranik Margarian, also leader of the Republican
Party, died of heart attack in March 25. He held the office since
May, 2000.

Sarkissian is now the acting leader of the Republican Party.

RUSSIA FOR COOPERATION AND PROSPERITY IN SOUTH CAUCASIAN REGION

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.04.2007 18:17 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Provision of stability and security, which is
of vital importance for many countries, proceeds from Russia’s
interests, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated to a joint
press conference with RA Acting Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian in
Yerevan. He said, RF is for cooperation and prosperity in the South
Caucasian region. "We proceed exactly from this necessity in our
contacts with all countries of the region, particularly with Turkey
and Iran, as well as in our contacts with NATO and EU, which perform
interest in this region. But we also proceeds from the necessity not
to create problems for Armenia." he stressed. In Lavrov’s opinion
interest to the region is quite understandable, since there are
natural resources and transit ways here, which are very important
from geo-strategic viewpoint.

In his part Armenian Acting Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian underlined
that Russian frontier troops are in Armenia by mutual consent of both
parties. "We think today their presence is necessary for Armenia’s
security," Oskanian said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress