Armenia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Vartan Oskanian addressed the 12th Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The two-day meeting was held in Sofia, Bulgaria, on December 6-7.

The annual Ministerial meeting addressed issues which have been on the organization's agenda over this year. They included the war against terrorism, the struggle to promote tolerance, structural and organizational reforms, as well as the organization's mission in promoting democratic values and practices around the world.

At the conclusion of the Ministerial meeting, the following STATEMENT OF THE MINISTERIAL COUNCIL ON THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT was adopted, the only consensus document on any of the conflicts within the OSCE area. We commend the progress achieved in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 2004, in particular, the three meetings of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan under the auspices of the Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group. We also welcome the creation of the so-called ³Prague Process², through which four meetings between the Foreign Ministers of both countries allowed the methodical re-examination of all the parameters of a future settlement. We note that, building on the results of the ³Prague Process², the Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group presented to both Presidents in September in Astana a framework that could serve as a basis for a settlement. We invite the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan to take that framework into account and to go forward based on it. We strongly urge the parties to redouble their efforts toward the rapid settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group.

The OSCE chairmanship is currently held by Bulgaria. That concludes this month and will be followed in 2005 by the Slovenian chairmanship. The following year, Belgium assumes the chairmanship, and Minister Oskanian met with Dr. Karel de Gucht, Belgium's Minister of Foreign Affairs. They discussed bilateral issues, and Minister Oskanian expressed satisfaction that Belgium is Armenia's largest trading partner, and said he hoped that by working together, this, too, can grow. Minister Oskanian described the present status of the NK conflict within the OSCE Minsk Group framework, and also Armenia 's relations with the EU.

In the margins of the conference, Minister Oskanian met with EU Commissioner for External Relations, Mrs. Benita Ferrero-Waldner. They discussed Armenia's involvement in the European Neighborhood Policy, Armenia's interest in deepening relations with EU institutions, and Armenia 's anticipation that the December 17 Summit which will determine the start of Turkey's EU accession talks will also make reference to the need for open borders between Turkey and Armenia . Similar topics were on the agenda in Minister Oskanian's meeting with the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration of Luxembourg, Jean Asselborn since Luxembourg assumes the European Union presidency in January.

Minister Oskanian also met with the new foreign minister of Austria, Dr. Ursula Plassnik. The two discussed bilateral issues as well as Armenia's desire to engage more deeply with each individual EU member state.