ACCORDING TO RA FOREIGN MINISTER, SERIOUS PRECONDITIONS HAVE BEEN FORMED FOR DEVELOPMENT OF ARMENIAN-SWEDISH BILATERAL COOPERATION
Noyan Tapan
Nov 10, 2008
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 10, NOYAN TAPAN. Within the framework of his official
visit to Sweden, RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian had a number
of official meetings on November 7 in Stockholm, where he had arrived
at the invitation of Foreign Minister of Sweden Carl Bildt.
RA Foreign Minister’s first meeting was with his Swedish counterpart,
Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
Carl Bildt.
A wide range of issues regarding Armenian-Swedish bilateral relations,
Armenia-European Union cooperation, regional and international
issues were on the agenda of negotiations of the Armenian and Swedish
Foreign Ministers.
Touching upon Armenian-Swedish bilateral relations, E. Nalbandian said
that Armenia is interested in development of cooperation with Sweden,
for which serious preconditions have been formed.
E. Nalbandian and C. Bildt in detail discussed issues regarding
Armenia-European Union cooperation expressing satisfaction with
the process of implementation of the European Neighborhood Policy
Actions Plan.
The interlocutors also discussed the Polish-Swedish proposal of Eastern
partnership, on the occasion of which E. Nalbandian said that the
Armenian side positively estimates that initiative and follows with
much interest the revision of that proposal by the European Commission
expecting holding interested discussions on that issue with partner
countries and European structures in the near future.
C. Bildt, in his turn, said that the Polish-Swedish proposal has
received EU’s assistance, and subject discussions will be already
held in that direction in the near future. He also assured that
in the second hald if 2009, in the period of Sweden’s chairmanship
in EU, serious attention will be paid to relations with the South
Caucasian countries. He accepted RA Foreign Minister’s invitation
to visit Armenia promising to visit Armenia before Sweden’s assuming
chairmanship in EU.
At the request of his Swedish counterpart E. Nalbandian presented
the process of Nagorno Karabakh settlement expressing the hope that
the declaration signed by the Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and
Russia in Moscow will create a possibility to make the negotiations
active and to record progress in them.
The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Sweden also exchanged thoughts
over the possibilities of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations.
The events around South Ossetia were touched upon during the discussion
of the problems of the Caucasian region.
The Ministers’ meeting was followed by their joint press conference.
A ceremony of signing of a Readmission Agreement between the Republic
of Armenia and the Kingdom of Sweden took place then.
According to the report provided to Noyan Tapan by the RA Foreign
Ministry Press and Information Department, in the second half of the
day E.
Nalbandian made a speech on Armenia’s foreign policy at the Institute
for Security and Development Policy of Sweden.
During the meeting with Ulf Berg, the President of the Swedish Trade
Council, E. Nalbandian presented the steps taken in the direction
of Armenia’s development, investment possibilities, and primary
directions. The possibility to organize an Armenian-Swedish business
forum, as well as to organize mutual visits of economic sphere
executives were discussed. The interlocutors also exchanged thoughts
regarding the world financial crisis and ways of coming out of it.
In the headquarters of the Ericsson company E. Nalbandian met with
Bjorn Hemstad, the President of Ericsson Eastern Europe. During
the meeting the Minister got acquainted with company’s activity and
long-range programs, expressed satisfaction with Ericsson’s efficient
cooperation with Armenia’s mobile communication operators. The
possibility to expand cooperation between Armenian companies and
Ericsson was discussed during the talk.
In Stockholm E. Nalbandian also met with the management of the
Nasdaq OMX financial group, Armenia’s financial exchange manager,
and discussed issues regarding company’s activity in Armenia.
In the evening of November 7 E. Nalbandian met with representatives
of the Swedish Armenian community, presented Armenia’s foreign policy,
possibilities of Nagorno Karabakh settlement, steps undertaken in the
direction of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations. Speaking
about the Homeland-Diaspora relations, the Minister said that the
Armenian authorities are going to make more active cooperation with
the Diaspora, and the creation of the Ministry of Diaspora in the
homeland pursues the very purpose.