Armenian Foreign Minister praises OSCE's conflict prevention activities

VIENNA, 21 March 2002 - Speaking before the 55-nation OSCE Permanent Council, the Armenian Foreign Minister, Vartan Oskanian, today expressed his Government's appreciation for the work the OSCE has done in his country.

"In all areas - from combating corruption to reform, to environmental policy or civic participation, the [OSCE's] Yerevan Office has been consistent and persistent", Mr. Oskanian said. "Recently, its efforts with other missions in the South Caucasus have added the dimension of regional co-operation to its agenda, which we find timely and potentially very fruitful".

The Armenian Foreign Minister also praised the "enormous contribution" of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the High Commissioner on National Minorities. "They are uniquely qualified as instruments of democratization and conflict prevention. They are the evidence of this organization's comparative advantage", he said.

With regard to the conflict dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Group (Nagorno-Karabakh), Foreign Minister Oskanian expressed his appreciation for the continuing efforts of the OSCE and the Co-Chairmen from France, the Russian Federation and the United States. "The OSCE, its presence, its monitoring, the Chairman's Personal Representative, the Co-Chairs' frequent visits and continuing engagement, as well as the Chairman-in-Office's recent tours of the South Caucasus all contribute to a relative calm", he said.

Concluding his speech, Mr. Oskanian announced that his Government remained committed to carry on its participation and support. "All of us here, engaged in a battle against terrorism, new and old threats of national and ethnic frustrations, transnational crime, enduring economic marginalization, and persistent patterns of democratic deficit and human rights abuse, can clearly conclude that the work of the OSCE is not yet done", Foreign Minister Oskanian said. "The vision of Helsinki remains unfulfilled".