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Edward Nalbandian participates in the 119th session of Committee of
Ministers of the Council of Europe
Foreign Minister of Armenia has meetings with Foreign Ministers of
several European countries
On May 12, in Madrid Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian
participated in the 119th session of Committee of Ministers of the
Council of Europe, which takes places within the frameworks of 60th
anniversary of the establishment of the Council of
Europe. High-ranking delegations of the CoE 47 member-states, five
observer states and international organizations, Chairmen of CoE
Parliamentary Assembly and the European Court of Human Rights attended
the session.
Prince of Spain Felipe also participated in the opening of the session
and delivered a greeting speech.
The agenda of the session included different issues of organization’s
activities. In the course of the session the Ministers also discussed
the preparations for the elections of the CoE Secretary General and
intermediate facilities for implementation of the 14th Protocol of the
European Convention on Human Rights which will allow to increase the
efficiency of the activity of the European Court of Human Rights.
Edward Nalbandian also delivered a speech at the session of the
Committee of Ministers. In his speech Armenian Foreign Minister
stressed the role of the Council of Europe in establishment of stable
and peaceful continent, as well as touched upon the settlement process
of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) issue and mentioned that the legitimate
concerns of the people of Nagorno Karabakh for security have been in
heart of insisting on their internationally accepted legal right to
self determination. Azerbaijan opposed to this by force – started with
ethnic cleansings, than these actions developed into open aggression
and large-scale hostilities against the people of Karabakh using
mercenaries closely linked with terrorist organizations.
Speaking on the negotiation process of settlement of the issue
Minister Nalbnadian emphasized that in 2001 the sides were very close
to the settlement but because of the unconstructive position of
Azerbaijan and rejection of the reached agreements it didn’t happen.
Armenian Foreign Minister mentioned that the unconstructive position
of Azerbaijan got its continuation by the leadership of Azerbaijan,
which during months was refusing the very existence of the Madrid
proposals presented by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in 2007.
Edward Nalbandian assessed the meetings of Presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan, Declarations and Statements adopted in Moscow and Helsinki
in 2008 as signs of progress in peace process and expressed hope that
if the Azerbaijani leadership gives up its unconstructive approaches
and stops its militaristic and anti-Armenian propaganda, then the
negotiations which conitinue within the frameworks of the Minsk Group
can approach the positions of the sides and bring to the settlement of
the issue.
On the same day during the meeting between Edward Nalbandian and
Foreign Minister of Slovenia Samuel Zbogar Armenian Foreign Minister
congratulated his Slovenian counterpart on assuming the Chairmanship
of the Council of Europe and expressed readiness to give full support
to the Slovenian Chairmanship. Ministers discussed issues concerning
strengthening of bilateral relations, expansion of legal field,
several regional issues of the CoE activities. In the course of the
meeting, the two also touched upon the EU Eastern Partnership program.
Edward Nalbandian had meeting with his Lithuanian counterpart Vygaudas
Usackas. Ministers discussed the ways of further enlargement of
bilateral relationship. Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Lithuania
exchanged views on global financial crisis and minimization of its
consequences. On Vygaudas Usackas’s request, Edward Nalbandian
presented the process of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations
and recent developments in the process of settlement of Artsakh issue.
During the meeting between Foreign Ministers of Armenia and
Switzerland Edward Nalbandian and Micheline Calmy-Rey discussions
focused on bilateral and regional issues. They also touched upon the
process of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations.
The agenda of the meeting with Maria Teresa Goncalves Ribeiro,
Secretary of State for European Affairs includes the steps to be
undertaken towards the deepening of Armenian-Portuguese bilateral
relations. Ministers stressed the necessity to enlarge legal
field. They also touched upon cooperation within European and
international organizations.
In the course the meeting between Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter
Balazs and Edward Nalbandian the two had a comprehensive talks on
further development of bilateral relations, settlement of Artsakh
(Nagorno Karabakh) issue. Peter Balazs reaffirmed the invitation of
the Preident of Hungary Laszlo Solyom to the President of Armenia
Serzh Sargsyan to visit Budapest.
Minister Nalbandian met Foreign Minister of Serbia Vuk Jeremic. They
stressed warm relations and sympathy established between the two
countries and nations and discussed issues concerning the ways of
development of bilateral relationship, organization of high-ranking
visits. Ministers also touched upon the expansion of cooperation
within international organizations. Edward Nalbandian presented to his
Serbian counterpart the process of normalization of Armenian-Turkish
relations and recent developments in the negotiations of settlement of
Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) issue. Vuk Jeremic thanked for balanced
position of Armenia on Kosovo issue and presented the legal process on
Kosovo in the International Court of Justice and the expectations of
the Serbian side. Vuk Jeremic invited Edward Nalbandian to visit
Belgrade.
Concluding his visit to Madrid Armenian Foreign Minister returned
Yerevan.
From: Baghdasarian