Working visit of President Serzh Sargsyan to Austria

On 19 November, after the meeting between the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliev in Vienna, the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group issued a press-release which states: “The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (the Russian Federation, France, and the United States of America) welcomed President Ilham Aliyev of the Republic of Azerbaijan and President Serzh Sargsian of the Republic of Armenia to Vienna to advance discussions on the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, accompanied by their Foreign Ministers. They were joined by the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson in Office. This was the Presidents’ first meeting since their January 2012 summit in Sochi.

During their private one-on-one meeting and the working session afterward with the Co-Chairs and the Ministers, the Presidents discussed a broad range of issues related to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The Presidents agreed to advance negotiations toward a peaceful settlement. They instructed their Foreign Ministers to continue to cooperate with the Co-Chairs to build on the work to date with the aim of intensifying the peace process. They agreed to meet again in the months ahead.

As a next step, the Co-Chairs are organizing working sessions with the Ministers on the margins of the OSCE Ministerial Council, which will take place on December 5-6 in Kyiv. The Co-Chairs plan to visit the region before the end of this year.”

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In the framework of his working visit to the Republic of Austria, President Serzh Sargsyan on 19 November in Vienna met with the President of Austria Heinz Fischer. Discussed were issues related to the development of the Armenian-Austrian relations, regional and urgent international problems. The parties spoke also about the NK peace process and in that context discussed the meeting between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan held today in Vienna.

Speaking about bilateral relations, Serzh Sargsyan and Heinz Fischer noted with satisfaction that the trade and economic cooperation formed between the two friendly countries, which enjoy high-level political relations, have also potential for the development of cultural and educational ties. For a full realization of that potential the parties stressed the importance of reciprocal visits of different levels, active contacts between the entrepreneurs, as well as activities of the Armenian-Austrian intergovernmental commission. Serzh Sargsyan highlighted the last year official visit of the President of Austria to Armenia, which, according to the President of Armenia, became a serious impetus for the further deepening and strengthening of the friendly relations between the two countries and peoples.

At the conclusion of the meeting, President Heinz Fischer reiterated his invitation to President Serzh Sargsyan to visit Austria in 2014. The invitation was accepted with gratitude.