Minister Oskanian concludes UN visit

September 29 , 2003

On Thursday, September 25, at the conclusion of a four-day visit to the UN, Armenia's Minister of Foreign Affairs delivered a statement at the 58th UN General Assembly. The Minister spoke about the need to reform the UN, democratize its decision-making institutions and allow it to become "a viable instrument of world peace."

During his four days in New York, the Minister held nearly two dozen meetings. He met with high-ranking officials of the US State Department, the UK Foreign Office, as well as the foreign ministers of Argentina, Romania, Lebanon, Iran, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Turkey and the Deputy Foreign Minister of Cuba. He also met with representatives of the Armenian Assembly of America, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation the Zoryan Institute and the leadership of Armenia 2020.

The Minister's meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was the second time the two met. They discussed bilateral concerns, including the prospects of opening the border between the two countries. They agreed to meet again and to continue to talk about the steps necessary toward normalization of relations.

Minister Oskanian met with Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Foreign Minister of the Netherlands. This meeting had special significance because Netherlands holds the chairmanship of the OSCE this year, and also because Mr. Hoop Scheffer has been selected as the next Secretary General of NATO. Minister Hoop Scheffer expressed his desire to visit Armenia and the region this fall.

Minister Oskanian's meeting with Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi covered issues of mutual concern, including developments in Iraq and Afghanistan.

With the US State Department's Deputy Secretary of State Mark Grossman, the two discussed regional matters, Armenia-US cooperation in the military and political spheres, and the Nagorno Karabagh negotiations process. The Minister also held a separate meeting with John Bolton, US Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.

During the UN visit, the Minister also signed two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. One on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child pornography, the other On the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict