Edward Nalbandian: Good afternoon.

I am glad to welcome my Swedish counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt who is in Armenia on an official visit. We attach great importance to the development of Armenia’s relations with the Scandinavian region, especially Sweden.

We had the opportunity to start negotiations yesterday evening and then continued the negotiations today and discussed a wide range of bilateral, regional and international issues.

We touched upon the relations between Armenia and the EU, especially within the frames of the Eastern Partnership, one of the architects of which is Sweden.

We had detailed talks on the negotiations over the Association Agreement, process of visa facilitation regime and preparatory works on launching the Deep and Free Comprehensive Trade Agreement.

We also touched upon the importance of expanding the legal framework of bilateral relations, further intensifying the political dialogue and expanding cooperation in the economic, cultural and inter-parliamentary areas.

We discussed the process of settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. We are of the same opinion that the peaceful settlement has no alternative.

Now I would like to pass the floor to my colleague with pleasure.

Please, Carl.

Question: Minister Nalbandian, I would like to address my question to you. Last week during the meeting with you, Miroslav Lajčak stated that the negotiations on the of visa facilitation regime would start this autumn. Is there a timetable at this moment on how they will be conducted, when they will be completed and what kind of facilitation is being expected?

Edward Nalbandian: It is expected that the mandate for launching the negotiations over the visa facilitation regime will be provided this September. Of course until the start of the negotiations we cannot speak about their end but I think we can be confident that the negotiations will be conducted quickly in order to facilitate visa regime for citizens in sixteen categories– journalists, sportsmen, visitors traveling for the purpose of education, medical treatment and academic exchanges. The next phase will be aimed at the liberalization of visa regime; it means to abolish the visa regime.

Question: My question is addressed to Minister Nalbandian. Minister Nalbandian, as we know, during the recent meeting with the Co-Chairs the President of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh Bako Sahakyan stated that it is impossible to settle the issue without the direct involvement of Nagorno-Karabakh in the negotiations. In which stage it is planned to involve Nagorno-Karabakh in the negotiations, and the second question, in fact, ahead of Kazan meeting very optimistic statements are being made. In your opinion, could any document be signed in Kazan, or not? Thank you.

Edward Nalbandian: First of all, let me say that I fully agree with President Bako Sahakyan. It will be impossible to embark on the second stage, if Karabakh does not give its consent to with the Basic Principles. In the second phase it is planned to develop and prepare an agreement on the settlement, in which Nagorno-Karabakh should absolutely participate.

For us, the cornerstone of peaceful settlement is that the people of Nagorno-Karabakh are the master of their destiny. As of the upcoming meeting in Kazan, you know that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press release after the trilateral meeting held in a ministerial level in Moscow, according to which the sides succeeded in approximating their positions over a number of key issues and if that positive trend is maintained in Kazan as well, then we will be able to register a positive progress.

I would also like to respond to the previous question, which was addressed to my Swedish counterpart on the bellicose statements that are being made even after Deauville; various Azerbaijani officials are speaking about the last chance for the peaceful settlement and so on. Who is preventing Azerbaijanis to use this chance?

As to militaristic statements, I can remind you that there is a clear message in the Deauville statement to prepare populations for peace; the opposite would be condemned by the international community. It is mentioned in the statement of the Presidents of Russia, the United States and France.

Question: Mr. Nalbandian, I would like to address my question to you: First, a clarification with respect to the previous question; can we conclude from your answer that in Kazan an end to the first phase is anticipated, as you mentioned about the launch of the second phase with the participation of Karabakh? And my question, recently the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammedyarov had spoken about the existence of an agreement on the deployment of peacekeepers, pointing out the countries that cannot participate – the Minsk Group Co-Chair and regional countries.

If you confirm that such an agreement on this principle has been reached, then can you say which countries will these be and when will the peacekeepers be deployed? Thank you.

Edward Nalbandian: I think I did say that we can consider the first phase to be complete once we will have an opportunity to move on to the second phase, when not only Armenia and Azerbaijan, but also Nagorno-Karabakh gives its consent to the Basic Principles. As of the peacekeeping forces, I have already commented it. There was a provision on peacekeeping activities in Nagorno-Karabakh in the statements of L'Aquila and Muskoka, made by Presidents Obama, Sarkozy and Medvedev. But the details of this issue have not been discussed during the last three years. If it was not discussed, then no agreement has been reached.