Author: Maghakian Mike

Radio Free Europe, Czech Republic
July 22 2004
Georgian Foreign Minister Ends Two Day Official Visit to Yerevan
By Gevorg Stamboltsian and Armen Zakarian 23/07/2004 01:49
Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili completed her first-
ever official visit to Armenia on 22 July.
During the visit, Zourabichvili held meetings with Armenian President
Robert Kocharian, parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian, Prime
Minister Andranik Markarian and her Armenian counterpart Vartan
Oskanian.
Bilateral relations and important regional issues were high on the
agenda.
During the meeting with Zourabichvili, President Kocharian expressed
satisfaction with the “high level of inter-state relations with
Georgia, which are based on mutual trust and cooperation.” Kocharian
noted that Georgia is going through a rather hard time, but he
expressed the hope that “the Georgian authorities will soon overcome
these difficulties.”
“We are highly interested in stability in Georgia,” Kocharian said.
“The visit of the head of the Foreign Ministry of Georgia and
meetings at a high level will give a new context to issues on the
Armenian-Georgian agenda,” Armenian Foreign Minister Oskanian said on
21 July during his meeting with his Georgian counterpart.
“The parties noted a high potential for mutually advantageous
cooperation in the matter of deepening interaction with European and
Euro-Atlantic structures, namely, with EU and NATO,” according to the
press-service of Armenian Foreign Ministry. “The countries have great
opportunities after the South Caucasian countries have been included
in the [European Union’s] New Neighborhood initiative.”
During his meeting with Zourabichvili, Oskanian emphasized the
importance of developing both North-South and East-West highways and
transport corridors. The two ministers exchanged opinions on the
resumption of traffic on all railways in the region, namely,
Kars-Giumri-Tbilisi and the Abkhaz section of the railway linking
Russia and Armenia via Georgia. The two ministers also discussed
regional electricity supplies, cooperation with Iran, and the
Nagorno-Karabakh, Georgian-Abkhazian and Georgian-Ossetian conflicts
and how they could be resolved.
On 21 July, Salome Zourabichvili laid wreaths at the Memorial to
victims of the Armenian genocide. She also held a meeting with
representatives of the Georgian Diaspora and visited the Parajanov
museum.
“There are never concrete results from one visit, but it is a process
that we are starting. We are determined to increase our economic
relations,” Zourabichvili told journalists before boarding the
airplane for Tbilisi in Zvartnots airport.
“Political relations are very good, but we have to deepen them, and
especially we have to appear in front of Europeans,” Zourabichvili
continued. “We have to appear as one region, speaking as much as
possible with one voice.”
Asked by RFE/RL whether the key to reopening the Abkhazian section of
the Russia-Georgia-Armenia railway lies in Russia or in Georgia,
Zourabichvili answered “There is a small key here too.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RPA EXCLUDES POSSIBILITY OF RETURN OF ALL LIBERATED DISTRICTS,
NEIGHBORING ON NAGORNY KARABAKH, TO AZERBAIJAN
YEREVAN, JULY 21. ARMINFO. Republican party of Armenia excludes the
possibility of return of all the liberated territories, neighboring on
Nagorny Karabakh, to Azerbaijan. Member of the RPA Board Gagik
Minasian stated during the press conference at the National press
club.
At the same time he did not exclude the possibility of return of
several liberated districts, which are not included in the program of
resettlement, in exchange for Azerbaijan’s admitting the independence
of Nagorny Karabakh. Gagik Minasian mentioned that during his recent
visit to the liberated districts he made sure of that the process of
resettlement of these territories is going on quite actively. According
to him, large-scale construction works are being implemented in the
liberated territories, these populated areas are provided with power
supply. The population of these districts is getting ready for the
elections to local self-government bodies. Gagik Minasian stressed
that as regards the democratization level Nagorny Karabakh and
neighboring districts are by no beans inferior to Azerbaijan.
Speaking about RPA’s position in the issue of settlement of the
Karabakh conflict Gagik Minasian stressed that RPA advocates full
independence of Nagorny Karabakh or its joining to Armenia. He also
declared that the territories of Armenia cannot be a subject of trade
during the negotiations concerning the peaceful settlement of the
Karabakh conflict. According to him, Nagorny Karabakh must also have
direct communication with Armenia.

Eurasianet Organization
July 21 2004
ARMENIA FACING PRESSURE ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH ISSUE
Samvel Martirosyan: 7/21/04
Armenian President Robert Kocharian’s administration appears to be
facing increasing pressure to soften its stance on the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue. Reports suggesting that Armenia is willing to
explore the return of Azerbaijani territory seized during the
Karabakh conflict are threatening to stir domestic political trouble
for Kocharian.
Both Armenian and Azerbaijani media have reported that the United
States, in seeking to break the existing stalemate in Karabakh peace
talks, is pressing Armenia to agree to the return of Azerbaijani
regions captured during the 1991-94 conflict. [For background see the
Eurasia Insight archive]. According to the reports, Armenia is being
asked to return anywhere between three and six of the seven areas
seized from Azerbaijan. The only area that reportedly has not come up
in discussions is Lachin, the corridor of land that connects Karabakh
with Armenia proper. Kocharian has adamantly opposed giving back what
Armenians describe as “liberated territories” as a precondition to a
comprehensive peace settlement. [For background see the Eurasia
Insight archive].
A recent article published by the Turkish newspaper Zaman quoted
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul as saying that Yerevan was
prepared to discuss the return of the territories. Gul mentioned a
meeting of the foreign ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey,
held on the sidelines of the June 28-29 NATO summit in Istanbul,
saying that the Armenian participant, Vartan Oskanian, declared: “We
[Armenia] can withdraw from all territories except Karabakh.”
Oskanian subsequently denied making any such statement during the
meeting.
Kocharian’s ambiguous comments during a June 23 session of the
Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) helped fuel
speculation about a possible deal. Kocharian stated at one point that
the question of what Azerbaijani insists are “occupied lands” could
have been settled long ago if Baku had implemented the so-called Key
West principles, which reportedly mandated that Armenia vacate
captured Azerbaijani territory. He also emphasized that any potential
handover would have to be part of overall Karabakh settlement.
“We are ready for serious negotiations on a full-scale solution to
the conflict,” Armenia Today reported Kocharian as telling PACE.
“That is exactly why we have accepted the last formula for resolution
offered by international mediators which, unfortunately, [was]
rejected by Azerbaijan.”
Some Armenian observers have speculated that Kocharian may have been
seeking to prepare Armenian public opinion for a policy shift on the
territory handover issue. Azerbaijan has denied that any bargain was
struck during the Key West peace talks in 2001. [For background see
the Eurasia Insight archive].
The speculation swirling around the Karabakh issue comes at an
awkward political moment for Kocharian. Though opposition coalition
protests that roiled Yerevan this spring have been suspended,
Kocharian critics remain committed to a six-month boycott of the
Armenian parliament. [For background see the Eurasia Insight
archive]. Despite the coalition’s relative weaknesses, any effort to
return Azerbaijani territory could potentially give the opposition an
issue with which it could inflict considerable damage on Kocharian’s
administration.
Kocharian is no doubt mindful of the circumstances that led to his
rise to the presidency. In 1998, the willingness of then-president
Levon Ter-Petrosian to embrace a gradual approach to a
Nagorno-Karabakh settlement sparked a chain of events that led to his
forced resignation.
A June 25 opinion poll, carried out by the Armenian Center for
National and International Studies, underscored the risks for
Kocharian. It found that only 1 percent of the 1,950 respondents
polled nationwide believed that the captured territories should be
returned to Azerbaijan. By contrast, 45.5 percent wanted the lands to
remain under Armenian control. Another 11.2 percent called for the
regions to be equally divided between Armenia and Azerbaijan, while
just under a third said that they should be made part of
Nagorno-Karabakh. At the same time, only 2.5 percent of the survey’s
respondents expressed trust in the Armenian authorities to resolve
the Karabakh stalemate.
Meanwhile, there are signs coming out of Azerbaijan that Baku’s
Karabakh negotiating position is hardening. In July 16 talks with the
OSCE Minsk Group, which oversees the Karabakh peace process,
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov and Defense Minister Safar Abiyev maintained that Armenia
must meet four 1993 UN resolutions that call for the country’s
unconditional withdrawal from land outside of Karabakh. During a
public appearance July 20, Aliyev vowed that Azerbaijan “would
liberate its occupied territories at any cost,” the Turan news agency
reported.
The Minsk Group’s US, French and Russian co-chairmen — Steven Mann,
Henri Jacolin and Yuri Merzlyakov — cautioned that the two
countries’ failure to compromise could lead to a resumption of
hostilities over Karabakh. Concerns about a renewed outbreak of
fighting have risen in recent weeks.
Editor’s Note: Samvel Martirosyan is a Yerevan-based journalist and
political analyst.

U.S. Newswire (press release), DC
July 21 2004
Chief Economic Advisor to President of Armenia to Hold Press
Conference in Washington Aug. 10
To: Assignment Desk, Daybook Editor
Contact: Peter Hickman, 301-530-1210 or 202-662-7540, for the
National Press Club, or Haik Gugarats of the Embassy of Armenia,
202-319-1976, ext. 348
News Advisory:
Vahram Nercissiantz, chief economic adviser to the President of
Armenia, will hold an “Afternoon Newsmaker” news conference, Tuesday,
Aug. 10 at 2 p.m. in the Zenger Room of the National Press Club, 529
14th St., N.W., in Washington, D.C.
Nercissiantz will discuss the Armenian economy, regional cooperation
and the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), for which the U.S. has
selected Armenia as a potential recipient of a new form of
developmental assistance.
Nercissiantz is responsible for coordinating economic legislation and
reforms and was recently appointed deputy chairman of an Armenian
government working group to coordinate preparation for the MCA.

Radio Free Europe, Czech Republic
July 20 2004
Turkish Prime Minister Seeks France’s Support Ahead Of Summit

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has started a three-day
visit to France aimed at gaining support for Ankara’s bid to join the
European Union. RFE/RL reports that Turkish officials attach great
importance to this visit, noting that opposition to Ankara’s goal of
EU membership remains high in France.
20 July 2004 — Before leaving Ankara yesterday, Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan made it clear his visit would focus on
his country’s efforts to join the 25-member European bloc.
Although Ankara applied for entry into the EU in 1987, it was granted
candidate status only in 1999. And five years later, accession talks
have yet to start — a delay mainly due to European concerns about
Turkey’s poor human rights record.
The European Commission in October will review reforms implemented by
Erdogan’s Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party since it came
to power two years ago. Ankara hopes a positive assessment will
prompt EU leaders to set a date for accession talks when they meet in
December.
Before boarding a plane for Paris, Erdogan said, “I will explain [to
French leaders] what steps Turkey has [already] made on its way
toward the EU…and reiterate its commitment to bringing its
legislation in line with EU laws.”
Erdogan, who is traveling with several ministers and a large business
delegation, met today with French President Jacques Chirac at the
Elysee Palace. No details of the talks were immediately available.
Addressing journalists after meeting his French counterpart
Jean-Pierre Raffarin yesterday, the Turkish leader said he is
counting on support from Paris when EU leaders meet in December to
decide whether to open entry talks with Ankara. “We talked at length
with the [French] prime minister about the EU summit next December
and we hope all the support France has lent us on the European issue
— notably through the intermediary of President Jacques Chirac —
will continue in the future,” Erdogan said.
Yet France, where Turkey’s accession into Europe has largely
dominated the recent campaign for EU parliamentary elections, remains
divided over the issue.
The Paris-based left-wing “Liberation” daily noted today that Turkey,
which has already secured the support of most European capitals, sees
France as the biggest obstacle remaining on its road to Brussels.
With the notable exception of the Greens, all French political
parties have either voiced opposition to Ankara’s entry into the
European bloc, or refused to take a firm stance on the issue.
The strongest opposition comes from right-wing nationalist groups and
the moderate, center-right Union for the French Democracy party. They
say they are concerned at the prospect of nearly 70 million Muslims
joining the EU and claim neither history nor geography justifies
Turkey’s claim.
The opposition Socialist Party generally supports Ankara’s membership
bid and hails the significant reforms made by Erdogan’s government.
But it believes conditions have still not been met for Turkey to join
the bloc and cautions against hasty decisions. The Socialist Party
also says a precondition for Ankara’s bid should be its recognition
of the killing of hundreds of thousands of Ottoman Armenians during
World War I as genocide.
Even in Chirac’s Union for a Popular Majority (UMP) party there is no
consensus on the issue. Three months ago, the top UMP leadership said
it was opposed to Turkey’s becoming a EU member. The move then forced
Chirac — a longtime advocate of Ankara’s accession — to cautiously
enter the fray.
“I am convinced Turkey is destined to become a member of Europe. But
I am also convinced that its entry into the [European] Union will be
possible only under certain conditions that, as of today, are still
not met,” Chirac said.
In an interview with Marc Tronchot of France’s Europe 1 private radio
station, the French foreign minister today gave a similarly cautious
assessment. While praising Turkey’s efforts to meet conditions
required to join the EU, Michel Barnier warned against Ankara being
overly optimistic.
“We have to tell the truth: Turkey is not going to join the European
Union tomorrow morning. Turkey has still a long way to go before it
happens. Yet, it has been on this road for some time, preparing
itself and making progress,” Barnier said. He made it clear his
remarks were also meant to reassure those in France who believe
Turkey is not ready to join the bloc.
Talking to reporters on his way to Paris, Erdogan yesterday
acknowledged that Ankara’s membership bid may be heavily influenced
by European public opinion. “At [last month’s] NATO summit in
Istanbul, Chirac in person told me that 60 to 70 percent of France’s
public opinion was in favor of Turkey’s joining the EU,” he said.
The Turkish leader added that he hoped France’s political leaders
would eventually heed their voters’ opinion and voice support for
Ankara’s EU bid.
(Turkish TV, Anadolu, “Liberation,” Europe 1)
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
July 19, 2004, Monday
ARMENIAN SERVICEMEN WILL PARTICIPATE IN A NATO EXERCISE IN LITHUANIA
The Resceur-Medceur 2004 international military exercise organized
within the framework of the partnership for peace program will be
conducted in Lithuania from July 17 to August 4. Servicemen from
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Germany, Georgia, Latvia, Moldavia,
Poland, Romania, the US, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Croatia and Estonia
will be involved in the maneuvers.
Source: PanARMENIAN.Net, July 16, 2004, 13:39
Translated by Alexander Dubovoi
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Associated Press
July 19, 2004, Monday, BC cycle
Employee of Armenian magazine killed in Moscow
MOSCOW
An Armenian magazine employee died after being stabbed and beaten in
Moscow, the magazine’s chief said Monday.
The discovery of Pail Peloyan’s body on Saturday came eight days
after the killing of American Paul Klebnikov, editor of Forbes
magazine’s Russian edition, and raised additional concerns about
journalists’ safety in Russia.
The magazine for which Peloyan worked was much lower-visibility than
Forbes and covered topics less controversial than Klebnikov’s
reporting on Russia’s often-violent business sphere.
The Russian-language magazine, Armyanskii Pereulok (Armenian Lane),
focused on Armenian historical, cultural and religious issues, editor
Valentin Filoyan said. Peloyan was chief administrator for the
magazine and had written several articles, he said. The magazine’s
last issue appeared at the beginning of 2003.
Asked whether he believed the 37-year-old Peloyan’s death was
connected to the magazine’s work, Filoyan said, “I don’t think so.”
No other motive was known.
Peloyan’s body was found early Saturday on the edge of the expressway
that circles Moscow, near a pedestrian overpass, Russian news reports
said.
Filoyan said money and documents including Peloyan’s passport were
found on the body, an apparent indication that robbery was not the
motive.
Russia was rated by the Committee to Protect Journalists as one of
the world’s 10 most dangerous countries for journalists, with a
number of killings and beatings reported in recent years.
Klebnikov reportedly had been looking into the 1995 killing of a
prominent TV journalist and was interested in doing a series of
articles about journalist murders.

Chicago Tribune , IL
July 18 2004
Ties between Turkey, Israel grow strained
Middle Eastern allies disagree over Israel’s handling of
Palestinians, reports of training Kurdish commandos
By Catherine Collins
Special to the Tribune
Published July 18, 2004
ISTANBUL — When Israel’s deputy prime minister arrived in Turkey
last week on a fence-mending mission, he found that Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was away on vacation.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said Erdogan’s holiday had been planned
long before the visit. Yet it came at a time when relations between
the two allies have frayed over Israel’s actions against Palestinians
and published reports alleging that Israeli military officers are
training Kurdish commandos who want to establish an independent
nation.
As the only secular democracies in the Middle East, Turkey and Israel
have forged a friendship of mutual need and support. Both define
themselves as more Western–culturally, politically and
economically–than Middle Eastern.
Turkey was the first Muslim-majority country to recognize Israel in
1948, and ties between the two countries have blossomed in recent
years.
But in recent weeks Erdogan has been sharply critical of Israel’s
tactics against the Palestinians. He condemned the Sharon
government’s policies as “inhumane” and accused Israel of
“state-sponsored terrorism.”
In a recent briefing to members of his ruling Justice and Development
Party, Erdogan said: “We have no problem with the Israeli people, but
unfortunately, what the Israeli government has been doing is leading
to an increase in anti-Semitism in the world.”
Turkey’s foreign minister, Abdullah Gul, echoed Erdogan’s sentiments
last week as he warned that Israel’s actions could damage relations.
Turkish and Israeli diplomats are quick to say that ties between the
two countries remain strong. But Erdogan’s tough talk has raised
concerns.
“This is not the way that friendly nations speak to each other,” said
Barry Jacobs, director of strategic studies at the American Jewish
Committee in Washington, during a recent trip to Turkey. “But as
Archie Bunker said, `stifle.’ This relationship is too important to
allow it to be held hostage to momentary anger.”
The visiting Israeli official, Ehud Olmert, shrugged off Erdogan’s
absence and statements.
“We cannot assess policy by just one statement,” Olmert said during
an interview on CNN-Turk television when asked about Erdogan’s
comments.
Turkey and Israel have maintained strong, if not cordial, relations
for decades. Whether Erdogan’s criticism signals a substantive change
in the relationship is a matter of debate.
Turkish government officials and the public are increasingly
alienated by what they see as Israel’s severe steps against Muslims
in the West Bank and Gaza. At the same time, Turkey is trying to
rekindle relations with its Arab neighbors and improve ties with the
European Union, which is also critical of Israel’s government.
`The right context’
Turkish officials, meanwhile, have tried to avoid going too far in
angering Israel and its main ally, the United States. A spokesman for
the Foreign Ministry said the relationship with Israel has not
changed and remains important.
“The remarks by both our prime minister and foreign minister should
be put into the right context,” the spokesman said.
“They spoke out during developments in Palestinian and Israeli
relations that resulted in condemnations from many countries, even
the United Nations. Turkish reaction should be seen as part of a
general reaction, no more than that,” he said.
Ties between the nations include Turkey’s spending $3 billion on
Israeli military hardware since 1996. They conduct regular joint
military exercises, and Turkey allows Israeli fighter pilots to train
in its airspace.
Most of their bilateral trade is in the private sector and reached a
record $1.25 billion last year. Trade is expected to increase again
this year to $1.5 billion. And Turkey is considered the favorite
destination for Israeli tourists.
In exchange for the economic and military ties, Turkey has
supplemented its notoriously weak lobbying effort in the U.S. by
relying on the influential Jewish lobby.
Most prominently, Jewish-American groups have helped Turkey battle
against efforts by Armenian-Americans to declare the deaths of
hundreds of thousands of Turkish Armenians in the early 20th Century
a genocide.
Analysts and diplomats say it is unclear how to interpret Erdogan’s
criticism of Israel.
Alon Liel, a former director general of the Israeli Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and author of a book about the Turkish prime
minister, said he believes that Erdogan’s comments were not a
political ploy but an instinctive reaction to events, beginning with
Israel’s assassination of Sheik Ahmed Yassin, a Hamas spiritual
leader, in March.
“Erdogan saw Sheik Ahmed Yassin as a religious and political leader,”
Liel said in a phone interview from Tel Aviv. “And he was disturbed
by the fact that the assassination occurred as Yassin left the
mosque. And that Yassin was in a wheelchair. It was an instinctive
reaction, not something that he planned to please the Arab world.”
Playing to EU
Liel and others also see Erdogan playing to the European Union, which
is expected to decide in December whether to give Turkey a date to
start negotiations that could lead to its eventual membership.
“If there is anyone Erdogan wants to please, it’s the EU countries,”
Liel said. “I see this as an attempt to say to them, `Look we care
about human rights issues too.'”
Others think Erdogan’s comments could strike a sympathetic chord with
Arab nations, which have not considered the country “Muslim enough”
since it became a secular democracy in 1923.
But analysts cautioned that Turkey would run risks if it moves too
far from its U.S.-Israel alliance.
“While Erdogan and his party may think that the EU and the Middle
East might prefer such a Turkey, if the U.S.-Israel side does not
stand behind Turkey, then it will have no chance in the EU,” said
Zeyno Baran, director of international security and energy programs
at the Nixon Center in Washington.
Turkey’s concerns about Israel’s actions increased earlier this month
after The New Yorker magazine reported that Israeli military officers
were training large numbers of Kurdish commandos just across Turkey’s
southern border in northern Iraq.
Ankara is worried about the possibility of a renewed Kurdish
insurgency on its southern flank and the report raised alarms.
Turkish intelligence officials said they have detected a small number
of Israelis conducting training exercises in the region, but a senior
Israeli diplomat in the country denied that the Israeli military was
involved in northern Iraq.
“It is against common wisdom that Israel would conduct such
activities against the interests of a friendly state like Turkey,”
said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “If we had
any intention, the Turks would be the first to know and the first
with whom we would coordinate.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri defence minister, OSCE mediators exchange views on Karabakh settlement
Turan news agency
16 Jul 04

BAKU
Azerbaijani Defence Minister Safar Abiyev today received the
co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group who are visiting the region, the
Defence Ministry press service has reported. They held an exchange of
views on ways of resolving the Karabakh conflict.
The French co-chairman, Henry Jacolin, said that if the parties do not
change their policies and make no compromises, there will be no
progress in the conflict settlement. He said that any incident on the
front line might give rise to large-scale hostilities.
For his part, Safar Abiyev noted that the conflict cannot be settled
without the liberation of Azerbaijan’s occupied territory. He said
that UN Security Council resolutions should be implemented, and the
OSCE should also adopt a relevant resolution.
The US co-chairman objected to this idea and said that the OSCE will
never resolve this conflict. “Only Armenia and Azerbaijan are able to
resolve this conflict while the Minsk Group can only render
assistance,” he said.
Asked about the principles of the OSCE Minsk Group for resolving the
Karabakh conflict, the Russian co-chairman, Yuriy Merzlyakov, said
that the parties to the conflict had chosen the OSCE to resolve the
conflict. “We are trying to resolve the conflict peacefully and
support the resolutions taken by the parties. The UN Security Council
adopted the resolutions under different circumstances and today they
might fail to be resolved. The deadline for implementing the
requirements has passed and now we should look for a new option,”
Merzlyakov said.
However, Abiyev did not agree and noted that the UN resolutions on
Yugoslavia and Iraq have been implemented and the time will come when
the resolutions on the Karabakh conflict will be implemented, the
Defence Ministry press service said.
Turan note: When decisions were made on NATO’s military intervention
in Yugoslavia and the international coalition’s military intervention
in Iraq, the opinion of the UN Security Council were not taken into
account.

Armenian-Iranian relations said entering into new stage
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
14 Jul 04
Armenian-Iran cooperation is entering into a new qualitative
stage. While presenting his credentials to Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan the new ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the
Islamic Republic of Iran [IRI], Ali Reza Haqiqian, passed on Iranian
President Mohammad Khatami’s warm greetings. He said that Iran highly
assesses the Armenian president’s attention to bilateral relations and
the development of mutually beneficial cooperation and outlined
President Kocharyan’s official visit to Iran in 2001.
The Iranian president’s forthcoming official visit to Armenia would
also be a serious impetus for developing bilateral relations.
The Armenian president gave a positive assessment to the current level
of Armenian-Iran relations in all spheres and spoke in favour of their
future development.
[Video showed the ceremony and reception at the president’s office.]