ARMENIAN PREMIER DISCUSSES KARABAKH WITH MEDIATORS IN BUCHAREST
Public TV
April 3 2008
Armenia
[Correspondent] Prime Minister and president-elect Serzh Sargsyan's
plane landed today [3 March] in the Romanian capital where a NATO
summit is under way. The delegation led by him includes the Armenian
foreign minister, the head of the Armenian mission to NATO, other
officials. Sargsyan will attend the business lunch for the head of
the Euro-Atlantic Partnership countries. Before that, he had his
first meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs in the capacity of
newly elected Armenian president. Lusine Lazarian reports details
from Bucharest.
[Correspondent] The Armenian delegation headed by Prime Minister
Serzh Sargsyan is in Bucharest to participate in the NATO summit:
the NATO expansion is the key issue of the summit. Armenian Prime
Minister and president-elect Serzh Sargsyan met the OSCE co-chairs.
But first, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan spoke with
the ambassadors.
[Passage omitted: correspondent interviews OSCE Minsk Group US co-chair
Matthew Bryza.]
[Presenter] The meeting between Serzh Sargsyan and the co-chairs is
over now. We are on the phone with Lusine Lazarian, who is working
in Bucharest. Lusine, what can you tell us about the talks?
[Correspondent] The meeting between Serzh Sargsyan and the
OSCE ambassadors lasted one hour. Andrzej Kasprzyk, the OSCE
chairman-in-office personal representative, was also present at the
meeting. The parties discussed the current stage of the Karabakh
process and gave their assessments. Sargsyan expressed his concern
over Azerbaijan's diplomatic moves and the recent events on the
Azerbaijani-Karabakh border. Sargsyan reaffirmed Armenia's readiness
to settle the conflict by peaceful means in the format of the OSCE
Minsk Group. The meeting took place in a quite warm environment
as you can see from the footage. The US co-chair [Matthew Bryza]
spoke about the impressions following the meeting. Bryza said that
the co-chairs know the respected Armenian president for a long time,
they know what a person he is and that they can continue the talks
with him. Bryza said it is now apparent that the talks process will
continue. He pointed to the importance of continuing the meetings
between the presidents after [Serzh Sargsyan] assumes the post of
the president, underscoring that the co-chairs are waiting for such
an opportunity. Bryza said he thinks that Azerbaijan too agrees that
the process should be continued, however, adding that there were many
tough moments. He said he is sure the process will continue and it
would not take as long as it seems today, expressing hope that the
settlement of the issue is in near future. He said he cannot predict
when the conflict would be settled but said he has a feeling that it
would be in near future and that there is a progress. He said that
it was the beginning today and after the presidential inauguration
the process will continue. I would like to quote him: "We have to
move forward step by step".
Public TV
April 3 2008
Armenia
[Correspondent] Prime Minister and president-elect Serzh Sargsyan's
plane landed today [3 March] in the Romanian capital where a NATO
summit is under way. The delegation led by him includes the Armenian
foreign minister, the head of the Armenian mission to NATO, other
officials. Sargsyan will attend the business lunch for the head of
the Euro-Atlantic Partnership countries. Before that, he had his
first meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs in the capacity of
newly elected Armenian president. Lusine Lazarian reports details
from Bucharest.
[Correspondent] The Armenian delegation headed by Prime Minister
Serzh Sargsyan is in Bucharest to participate in the NATO summit:
the NATO expansion is the key issue of the summit. Armenian Prime
Minister and president-elect Serzh Sargsyan met the OSCE co-chairs.
But first, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan spoke with
the ambassadors.
[Passage omitted: correspondent interviews OSCE Minsk Group US co-chair
Matthew Bryza.]
[Presenter] The meeting between Serzh Sargsyan and the co-chairs is
over now. We are on the phone with Lusine Lazarian, who is working
in Bucharest. Lusine, what can you tell us about the talks?
[Correspondent] The meeting between Serzh Sargsyan and the
OSCE ambassadors lasted one hour. Andrzej Kasprzyk, the OSCE
chairman-in-office personal representative, was also present at the
meeting. The parties discussed the current stage of the Karabakh
process and gave their assessments. Sargsyan expressed his concern
over Azerbaijan's diplomatic moves and the recent events on the
Azerbaijani-Karabakh border. Sargsyan reaffirmed Armenia's readiness
to settle the conflict by peaceful means in the format of the OSCE
Minsk Group. The meeting took place in a quite warm environment
as you can see from the footage. The US co-chair [Matthew Bryza]
spoke about the impressions following the meeting. Bryza said that
the co-chairs know the respected Armenian president for a long time,
they know what a person he is and that they can continue the talks
with him. Bryza said it is now apparent that the talks process will
continue. He pointed to the importance of continuing the meetings
between the presidents after [Serzh Sargsyan] assumes the post of
the president, underscoring that the co-chairs are waiting for such
an opportunity. Bryza said he thinks that Azerbaijan too agrees that
the process should be continued, however, adding that there were many
tough moments. He said he is sure the process will continue and it
would not take as long as it seems today, expressing hope that the
settlement of the issue is in near future. He said he cannot predict
when the conflict would be settled but said he has a feeling that it
would be in near future and that there is a progress. He said that
it was the beginning today and after the presidential inauguration
the process will continue. I would like to quote him: "We have to
move forward step by step".