Working visit of President Serzh Sargsyan to Austria

 Today, in Vienna President Serzh Sargsyan met with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini.

At the meeting discussed were issues related to the regional developments and current challenges which undermine security. With this regard, the parties spoke in detail about the escalation resulting from the blatant violation of the ceasefire at the NK Line of Contact and possibilities to de-escalate the situation. Presenting the position of the Armenian side regarding the re-start of the negotiations, President Sargsyan stressed the importance of the unequivocal implementation of the provisions of the 1994 ceasefire agreement and 1995 agreement on the consolidation of the measures to strengthen the ceasefire regime as the first step aimed at the creation of favorable conditions for the resolution of the issue.

F. Mogherini reiterated support of the EU to the efforts of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and expressed readiness to assist in the implementation of the confidence building measures in the conflict zone. With this regard, the Armenian side stressed the importance of the visit by the representatives of the EU to the regions which suffered during the conflict.

The parties expressed hope that meetings to be held today in Vienna and initiated by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the countries-Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minks Group will help overcome the existing situation and establish peace and stability in the region.

At the meeting, the parties spoke also about the Armenia-EU bilateral agenda, including cooperation in certain areas.

 ***

President Serzh Sargsyan met today in Vienna with the US Secretary of State John Kerry.

The parties discussed possibilities to find way out from the situation resulting from the blatant violation of ceasefire in the NK conflict zone which took place in the beginning of April. Stressing the importance of the May 12 Declaration of the Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group, President Serzh Sargsyan noted that it is necessary to fully implement the 1994 agreement on ceasefire and the 1995 agreement on the consolidation of the ceasefire measures as well as to expeditiously introduce mechanisms for the investigation of ceasefire violations. Highlighting the fact that the present meeting has been initiated by the Ministers of the countries-Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, the President of Armenia expressed hope that they will be equally consistent in expressing their addressed positions and will take exact steps to create conditions conducive to the re-start of the negotiations. The parties reiterated that there is no military solution to the NK conflict and that it is necessary to find mutually acceptable mechanisms anchored in the basic principles.

***

In the evening of May 16, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliev took part in the discussions initiated by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the countries-Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. Present at the meeting were also the US Secretary of State John Kerry, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergei Lavrov and State Minister of France for European Affairs Harlem Désir. The meeting was attended also by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the two countries Edward Nalbandian and Elmar Mamedyarov, Ambassadors Igor Popov (Russia), James Warlick (USA), Pierre Andrieu (France) and Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk.

Discussed was the tense situation resulting from the blatant violation of ceasefire in the NK conflict zone which took place at the beginning of April and possibilities to find way out from the existing situation. The representatives of the Co-Chair countries insisted upon the necessity to strictly implement the 1994 agreement on ceasefire and 1995 agreement on the consolidation of ceasefire.

It was agreed to take steps for the monitoring of their implementation, establishment of mechanisms to investigate the ceasefire violations, enforcement of the capabilities of the team of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, and a possible re-start of the negotiations for the resolution of the conflict.

Based on the results of the meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergei Lavrov, Secretary of State John Kerry, and State Minister of France for European Affairs Harlem Désir, who represent countries-Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group adopted a Joint Declaration.

President Serzh Sargsyan recapped the results of the meetings held in Vienna at the interview with the representatives of the Armenian mass media.