Nalbandyan meets OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and US Assistant Secretary of State

Foreign Affairs Minister Edward Nalbandyan with Serbian Foreign Minister, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ivica Dacic in New York.

On September 27, Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan, while on his working visit to New York, met with a number of officials. Among them were Ivica Dacic, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia, and Foreign Affairs Minister of Serbia, as well as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland.

According to the Foreign Ministry’s press service, during the meeting with Serbian Foreign Minister Dacic a number of issues were discussed including  Armenian-Serbian relations, Serbia's OSCE Chairmanship priorities and issues related to the OSCE agenda.

In addition to the steady development of bilateral relations, the establishment of embassies, visa liberalization, and realization of direct flights between Armenia and Serbia, the interlocutors also spoke about the the efforts of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship in support of the Karabakh peace process.

The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office expressed deep concerns over the escalation of tension in the conflict zone and stressed the importance of full observance of the ceasefire.

Nalbandyan said that despite numerous appeals by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, Azerbaijan refuses to refrain from its destructive behavior and provocations.

Edward Nalbandyan with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland.

During the meeting with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, the sides stressed the importance of the visa facilitation agreement which entered into force in January 2015.

Reference was made to the development prospects of Armenian-American economic cooperation. In this regard, the importance of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, signed in May by Armenia and the United States was emphasized. They also exchanged views about the upcoming inaugural meeting of the Armenian-American Trade and Investment Council.

The interlocutors also spoke about the process of constitutional reforms in Armenia. Victoria Nuland thanked Armenia for its active participation in peacekeeping operations.

The sides exchanged views on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process. Nalbandyan presented the recent ceasefire violations by Azerbaijan. Nuland expressed deep concern about the increase of tensions and stressed the need for respecting the ceasefire.