CLINTON TO DISCUSS IN YEREVAN KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT
ITAR-TASS
June 4, 2012 Monday 10:41 AM GMT+4
Russia
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who is arriving in Yerevan on
a visit on Monday will discuss with the Armenian leadership issues
related to the strengthening of partnership with the republic and
the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh peace settlement. She will meet
with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian, the country’s Foreign Ministry reported. Nalbandian and
Clinton will tell reporters about the results of their talks at a
press conference to be held at the presidential palace in the evening.
“The agenda of the forthcoming negotiations includes a wide range
of issues related to the development and deepening of friendly
partnership between Armenia and the United States, the process of
peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict,” the Foreign Ministry
specified. “The sides will discuss regional and international issues
of mutual interest.”
The United States acts as a mediator in negotiations on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, being co-chair of the Minsk Group
of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE),
along with Russia and France. Washington also tries to promote the
normalisation of relations between Armenia and Turkey, which have no
diplomatic ties.
During the years after the declaration of independence, the United
States has provided to the republic assistance to a total worth of
over 2 billion US dollars, US Ambassador to Yerevan John Heffern said
in his video blog. According to him, the United States is among the
largest external donors providing assistance to Armenia.
The diplomat stressed that over the years, the sphere of US assistance
to Armenia has changed as its needs have changed: the amount of
humanitarian aid has been reduced and long-term programs of assistance
to the republic to help it expand opportunities have been increased.
The current visit of the US secretary of state to Armenia is the
third in history. In 1992, James Baker visited the country, and
Hillary Rodham Clinton – in 2010.
Clinton’s trip to Transcaucasia will be held within the framework of
her European tour, which began on May 31 and will end on June 7. The
US secretary of state has already visited Denmark, Norway and Sweden;
Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan will be next. Turkey will be the last
leg of her tour.