Mnatsakanyan: Bolton’s Visit to Armenia is Important

By Asbarez | Monday, 22 October 2018

National Security Advisor John Bolton

National Security Advisor John Bolton

YEREVAN—An upcoming visit by President Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor John Bolton to Armenia is “important” according to Armenia’s Acting Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan who detailed to reporters Thursday the issues that official Yerevan will raise with the U.S. official.

Last week, Bolton announced on Twitter that he would visit the region beginning Saturday.

“On October 20th I’ll be travelling to Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia to meet with my counterparts and other senior officials to advance American interests on a range of security issues,” Bolton said in a Twitter post.

“[Bolton’s visit] is a very important visit. Bolton is traveling to Russia, he is coming to the region, and we have our agenda with the United States that has been developed throughout years. There are bilateral issues, there is a regional agenda, around which we will hold meetings with the US representative,” said Mnatsakanyan.

Armenia’s top diplomat also took the time to address the controversial statements made by the outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills, who in an interview published this week by the EVN Report said that returning what he called “occupied territories” to Azerbaijan was an inevitable part of the Karabakh conflict resolution process. He also expressed his dismay and how little traction that issue has had in Armenia during his more than three-year tenure in Armenia.

“Our position on the Karabakh conflict is clear and very concrete. Last time I spoke about it in Luxembourg, the prime minister also discussed it. We are working and negotiating within the parameters of our position and will continue the move toward that direction,” Mnatsakanyan told reporters.

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