On June 19 Vahan Hovhannisyan, Vice Speaker of RA National Assembly and Levon Mkrtchyan, RA Minister of Education and Science met Anthony John James Cantor, Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Andrew Page, Deputy Head of Russia, South Caucasus and Central Asia Directorate of the UK’s FCO.

Upon Mr. Page’s request, Vahan Hovhannisyan, NA Vice Speaker touched upon the inner developments of the country, the reforms directed to Euro integration, the political shuffle, the forthcoming 2007 and 2008 parliamentary and presidential elections.

As Mr. Hovhannisyan evaluated, the presidential elections will greatly depend on the forthcoming parliamentary elections. These elections will also be a cornerstone of the country’s democratisation. So all political forces should make all efforts not to violate the law. The legislative, economic and political reforms implementing in the country are on the right way, though there are drawbacks in the mechanisms of their fulfillment. The external factors, in particular Turkey’s blockade and Azerbaijan’s non-constructive stance connected with the settlement of Karabakh problem have their negative impact on Armenia’s development of economy.

In response to Mr. Page’s question, what forecasts are there for the settlement of the Karabakh problem, Mr. Hovhannisyan informed that within the framework of the Minsk Group there are 3 recommendations, which Armenia adopted, and Azerbaijan denied. The latter doesn’t want to see the key problem, but to eliminate the consequences, which is not possible without key problem. Vahan Hovhannisyan considered impermissible the Azeri’s way of thinking in solving the problem by force later taking into account the oil factor, and not taking strict steps against that phenomenon by the world public.

Mr. Page noted that some economic circles can connect the Karabakh problem with the oil factor, but that is not the official stance of Great Britain, and ensured that his country does everything for finding mutually beneficial settlement of the Karabakh problem in peaceful way.