Five-sided statement on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was adopted On December 6, the 18th session of the Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) started in Vilnius. The Armenian delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian took part in the session. Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the OSCE 56 member-states, as well as high-ranking representatives of around two dozen international organizations participated in the session. The first day of the session was marked by a joint statement of the Heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries – Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Lavrov, Secretary of State of the United States Hillary Clinton, and Minister for European Affairs of France Jean Leonetti and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Azerbaijan Edward Nalbandian and Elmar Mammadyarov, where the sides reaffirmed the importance of reaching a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. On the same day in the morning Edward Nalbandian participated in the informal meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member-countries where the issues of the agenda of the Ministerial Council’s 18th session were discussed in order to clarify and coordinate the positions. The Ministers discussed issues related to the upcoming meetings of the CSTO’s statutory bodies. Edward Nalbandian’s Vilnius agenda was full of bilateral meetings, as well. During the meeting between Minister Nalbandian and the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Konstantin Gryshchenko it was mutual satisfaction was expressed about the regular contacts recently intensified. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Ukraine discussed issues relating to political dialogue, and touched upon the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. In Vilnius Edward Nalbandian met with the Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Kevin Rudd. In the course of the meeting the steps to be undertaken towards the deepening of bilateral relations, and issues related to the expansion of legal framework and the cooperation in the frames of international organizations were discussed. The sides touched upon the regional issues in the South Caucasus, as well. Kevin Rudd informed about his intention to visit Armenia in the first half of the next year. During the meeting with the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Philippe Lefort, issues related to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue were discussed. The EU Special Envoy reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to support the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group, and the strengthening of confidence and security building measures in the conflict zone. In the meeting between the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier, the sides exchanged views on the OSCE’s agenda issues, the settlement of the conflicts, the reduction of tension in the Karabakh conflict zone, and issues related to the creation of mechanism to investigate ceasefire violations in the line of contact. The sides talked about the upcoming parliamentary elections to be held in Armenia next year, as well. In the Lithuanian capital the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian had a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland Erkki Tuomioja. Bilateral relations, the cooperation between Armenia and the European Union and the regional issues were on the agenda of the talks. The main topic of the meeting between Edward Nalbandian and the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Ambassador Janez Lenar?i? was the parliamentary elections to be held in Armenia in 2012. The ODIHR Director highly assessed the reforms being held in Armenia and electoral code amendments, expressing hope that they would contribute to the holding of free and transparent elections in accordance with international standards. The next meeting of Edward Nalbandian was with David Lidington, the Minister for Europe of the United Kingdom. During the talk the sides touched upon the steps to be undertaken towards the development of bilateral relations and regional issues. In the context of the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, David Lidington welcomed today’s issued five-sided statement. The agenda of the meeting between Edward Nalbandian and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis included the ways of further developing the Armenian-Cypriot friendly relations and regional issues. In the context of Cyprus chairmanship of the EU in the second half of 2012, the sides exchanged views on the cooperation between Armenia and the European Union. The Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs had a meeting with Lucinda Creighton, the Minister for European Affairs of Ireland, which is going to take the OSCE chairmanship in 2012. In the course of the meeting the sides exchanged views on the implementation of the agreements reached during this year’s visit of the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs to Dublin. Minister Nalbandian presented the recent developments in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. In this regard, Lucinda Creighton underlined that the OSCE Irish presidency would support the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs directed to the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, the Press, information and public relations department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia informs.

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