President Lennart Meri had a meeting with Vartan Oskanyan, the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs, who brought the President the best regards of the President of Armenia, in Kadriorg today. The two Presidents had last met on the Baltic Sea States and Black Sea States Summit in Yalta in September 1999.

As President Meri said, Estonia has closely followed the developments in Armenia and supported Armenia also after the earthquake in Gyumri (former Leninakan). As President Meri said, Estonia hopes that a peaceful solution by political means will be found for the problems of Nagorno Karabakh.

As the President said, Estonia welcomes the aspirations of Armenia, the eldest Christian state in the world, to co-operate with Europe, although geographically it would be hard to explain that Armenia belongs to Europe. The President also said that small nations as Estonia and Armenia should rather look into the future than into the past, and added that he would do everything to support the Armenians.

Vartan Oskanyan said that the aim of his visit to Estonia and the other Baltic States is to activate the relations in the field of economy, politics and culture. As the Armenian Foreign minister said, Estonia's support is very important for Armenia, especially political support on the forthcoming parliamentary assembly of the European Council, where Armenia's accession to the European Council will be decided. Armenia is interested in all kinds of information about Estonia and her relations with European countries and international organisations.

Speaking of the developments in Nagorno Karabakh, the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs confirmed that both Azerbaijan and Armenia feel the need to solve the situation by political means, and that both sides need to meet halfway to find a solution. President Meri and Foreign Minister Oskanyan also discussed the situation in Abhasia and in Russia.

Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan was accompanied by Garik Iknoyan, the Honorary Consul of Armenia in Tallinn.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, March 16, 2000

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