BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP, RFE/RL, CTK) - Slovak and Armenian presidents called Tuesday for closer economic relations between their countries.
Armenian President Robert Kocharian, who arrived Monday for his first two-day official visit to this central European country of 5.4 million, agreed with his Slovak counterpart Rudolf Schuster that there is great potential for better business ties.
But Schuster said bilateral agreements, such as one banning double taxation, need to be adopted before the economic ties can improve. He said the two states should cooperate more closely in the area of nuclear energy.
Slovakia would also like to take part in the construction of gas and oil pipelines which would connect the Caucasus region with Europe, Schuster added.
Kocharian, speaking at a joint news conference held after talks, indicated that former Czechoslovakia’s 1993 peaceful break-up, which gave birth to the independent Czech and Slovak republics, should serve as a model for the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
“This experience of a civilized divorce is very interesting,” he said. “We believe that the territory formerly called the Azerbaijani Soviet Republic, too, should have produced two states [after the Soviet collapse]: the republics of Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh.”
“That is why we support the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in its pursuit of independent statehood,” Kocharian said.
The Armenian president is due to proceed to Vienna on Wednesday for two-day talks with Austria’s leadership.
Armenian President Robert Kocharian, who arrived Monday for his first two-day official visit to this central European country of 5.4 million, agreed with his Slovak counterpart Rudolf Schuster that there is great potential for better business ties.
But Schuster said bilateral agreements, such as one banning double taxation, need to be adopted before the economic ties can improve. He said the two states should cooperate more closely in the area of nuclear energy.
Slovakia would also like to take part in the construction of gas and oil pipelines which would connect the Caucasus region with Europe, Schuster added.
Kocharian, speaking at a joint news conference held after talks, indicated that former Czechoslovakia’s 1993 peaceful break-up, which gave birth to the independent Czech and Slovak republics, should serve as a model for the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
“This experience of a civilized divorce is very interesting,” he said. “We believe that the territory formerly called the Azerbaijani Soviet Republic, too, should have produced two states [after the Soviet collapse]: the republics of Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh.”
“That is why we support the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in its pursuit of independent statehood,” Kocharian said.
The Armenian president is due to proceed to Vienna on Wednesday for two-day talks with Austria’s leadership.