Today (28 October), Foreign Minister Westerwelle met with his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian. The talks focused on bilateral and regional issues, in particular the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorny Karabakh, as well as the situation in Iran.

With regard to the Nagorny Karabakh conflict, Foreign Minister Westerwelle renewed his appeal to both sides to reach a compromise. The current situation could easily escalate, the Minister said, further confidence-building measures were thus of the essence. Both Ministers agreed that the OSCE Minsk Group had a key role to play in the negotiations and that the EU could do even more to support the process.

Against the background of the Iranian nuclear programme and the dramatic human rights situation in the country, Foreign Minister Westerwelle spoke out in favour of increasing political pressure on Iran, saying that Iran’s neighbours were called upon to do their share.

Moreover, the Ministers exchanged views on economic cooperation. They agreed that, given the right framework, the presence of German companies in Armenia should be enhanced.