Civilnet
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, President of the Swiss Confederation and Head of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Didier Burkhalter was in Armenia on June 3.
The Swiss President met with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan during an official ceremony at the Presidential Palace in the capital Yerevan. Sargsyan welcomed the Swiss president and underscored the significance of his role as Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE, an organization that for many years has mediated to find a solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. President Sargsyan in his welcoming remarks said that he was also pleased that Burkhalter will be meeting with the President of Nagorno Karabakh and that it was a “great opportunity for [him] to meet all the parties to the conflict and listen to their opinions.” The Swiss President stressed that they had to “discuss and dialogue with all parties if we want to find a solution in difficult issues and that is what we, the Swiss, would like to do…” Following their meeting, the two presidents held a joint press conference.
Burkhalter later paid a visit to Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial where he laid a wreath to honor the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. The Swiss President also planted a fir tree in Memory Park on the grounds of the memorial.
Prior to his Armenia visit, Burkhalter had visited Azerbaijan and was in Georgia on June 3.
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