Minister Oskanian just concluded a 10 day 6 nation tour. At a press conference on Monday, June 20, he summarized the significance of the various visits.

In Washington DC on a working visit, Foreign Minister Oskanian met with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Minister Oskanian was also received by National Security Advisor Steven Hadley.

They discussed the panorama of Armenia-US bilateral relations, including economic, security and political issues. The Minister detailed the prospects for the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, as well as Armenia-Turkey relations. Both Secretary Rice and Mr. Hadley expressed particular interest in the process of democratic reforms in Armenia and the outlook for electoral and constitutional reforms.

Minister Oskanian also went to Capitol Hill, where members of the Armenian Caucus gathered in the office of Caucus co-chair Congressman Joe Knollenberg to discuss Armenian issues with the foreign minister. Congressman Knollenberg (Michigan) was joined by co-chair Congressman Frank Pallone (New Jersey), as well as Congressmen George Radonovich (California) and Joe Schwarz (California). The Minister briefed the Congressmen on the Nagorno Karabakh negotiations process as well as the status of Armenia-Turkey relations. The Minister expressed his appreciation for the Caucus¹s support of Armenia¹s development. They discussed projects that might be included in the agenda of the Armenia-US Task Force.

During the day, members of the Armenian National Committee of America and the Armenian Assembly of America also spoke with Armenia¹s Foreign Minister about issues on the Armenia-US agenda.

The Minister also spoke to a small group of area specialists at the Brookings Institution, and responded to reporters¹ questions at the National Press Club.

The second leg of the Minister¹s trip took him to Beijing on an official visit. There, he met with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing as well as head of the Communist Party International Relations Department.

The discussions began with Armenian-Chinese bilateral relations. Both sides expressed pleasure over the fact that trade between the two countries is registering significant growth each year, with 73% growth in the first trimester of this year. They also expressed satisfaction over the extent of scientific, technical and educational cooperation. A university exchange program has placed students from each country in the other¹s universities. In addition, Armenian professionals in the sciences have found research opportunities in Chinese institutions. The Chinese side said that following a series of meetings between the experts of the two countries, there can be additional cooperation between the two countries in the fields of traditional medicine, small scale agricultural machinery, grape growing and wine making.

Regarding Armenian-Chinese political cooperation, they discussed what they considered useful consultations and good cooperation in international institutions. They explored issues before various international organizations, including the UN. They also discussed developments in each region, including issues related to Nagorno Karabakh and Taiwan. Armenia reiterated its support for a one-China policy.

During the visit, Ministers Oskanian and Li Zhaoxing signed a memorandum on the exchange of land and buildings for embassies in each other¹s capitals. They also exchanged letters establishing a Chinese grant of 5 million Yuan
($800,000) in technical assistance to Armenia.

The Minister visited the new building of the Armenian Embassy and discussed with the local staff possibilities for its optimal use and effectiveness.

The Minister flew from Beijing to London to participate in a program marking the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, sponsored by the British Armenia All-Party Parliamentary Group. Following an ecumenical church service at St. Margaret¹s Church, the Minister addressed a group of journalists, parliamentarians and other officials at the conference which was held in the House of Lords Moses Room. The program was opened by Armenia's Ambassador to the UK, Vahe Gabrielyan. The moderator was Baroness Caroline Cox, chair of the Parliamentary Group, and active supporter of Armenian issues. The guests included former member of the Canadian Parliament Sarkis Assadourian, head of the French-Armenian Friendship Group of the French National Assembly, Francois Rochebloine, and James Smith, of the Beth Shalom Holocaust Foundation.

The Minister¹s visit continued in Brussels where he met with the leadership of NATO and the European Union. In a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the Minister reaffirmed Armenia¹s commitment to cooperation with NATO and presented Armenia¹s Individual Partnership Action Plan Presentation Document. This was followed by a meeting with all 26 ambassadors of NATO member states who asked Minister Oskanian questions about Armenia¹s political, security and economic development, as well as relations with neighbors, and the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

The Minister also met with both the European Union Javier Solana, as well
as Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for External Relations and the European Neighborhood Policy. They spoke about Armenia¹s Action Plan within the European Neighborhood Policy. Minister Oskanian presented Armenia¹s draft framework and said the government looks forward to consultations to further develop the framework and begin implementation.

The Minister¹s tour concluded in Paris where he participated together with Azerbaijan¹s Foreign Minister in a regular meeting of the co-chairs of the Minsk Group held within the framework of the Prague Process. The Ministers discussed the directions to be pursued in the context of the discussions held by the presidents in Warsaw, last month, during the Council of Europe Summit.