YEREVAN (Armenpress)–Armenian President Robert Kocharian took part in the first non-official CIS summit of the heads of state in Yalta on August 18–and met with Ukraine’s President Leonid Kuchma.
According to Kocharian’s press office–the meeting was primarily focused on economic issues. Both bilateral Armenian-Ukraine relations as well as those within the CIS framework were discussed. In this respect–Armenian prime minister’s visit to Ukraine that is scheduled in autumn was emphasized which–according to both presidents–"will help to specify separate directions of cooperation."
During the second half of the day–president Kocharian met with his Azeri counterpart Heydar Aliyev.
Speaking to reporters after the closed door meeting–Kocharian and Aliyev said they had agreed to continue the dialogue to try to hammer a final peace settlement to the long-lasting Karabakh conflict.
They said their next one-on-one meeting would take place in New York at the United Nations General Assembly Millennium session. They repeatedly reiterated that they should settle the conflict peacefully through mutual compromises.
Responding to an Azeri reporter’s question as to why he was putting stress on economic co-operation–president Kocharian said–"it would help to develop a peace formula much more easily." Kocharian added that "the common economic interests tying the two countries will help avoid extra suspicions and will create a favorable climate for the regulation of the conflict."