VELIKI BRIJUN, SEPTEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. The negotiations in an enlarged staff held on the first day of RA President Serzh Sargsyan's two-day official visit to Croatia were followed by his joint press conference with Croatian President Stjepan Mesic. According to RA President's Press Office, S. Sargsyan stated that Armenia attaches importance to the necessity of deepening and developing relations with Croatia and in general with Balkan states in all spheres, political, economic, cultural. In his words, the Armenian and Croatian peoples had a similar fate, a past full of ordeals, which todays creates a basis for firm friendship, mutual respect and confidence. "Our nations' history has also various marvellous crossings, which is also evidence of Armenian-Croatian old historic contacts and cultural penetration. For me, it was pleasant and surprising to hear that the saint patron of your wonderful Dubrovnik and the whole Dalmatia, Sveti Vlaho is indeed Armenian Archbishop of Sebastia Saint Barsegh," S. Sargsyan said. Stating that since independence Armenian-Croatian contacts were irregular for objective reasons, S. Sargsyan meanwhile mentioned that at present the situation has changed radically and gives a possibility to enrich the agenda of Armenian-Croatian relations by various issues. "Now we should form formats of periodical contacts and ensure contacts between various strata of our societies. Establishment of interparliamentary contacts, formation of intergovernmental commission and establishment of contacts at the level of local self-government bodies will be its important components," the RA President said. He added that Armenia welcomes the possibility of cooperation with Croatia in all possible EU formats and in particular, within the framework of the Eastern Partnership and Black Sea Confederation programs. Mentioning that in his private talk to the Croatian President they had also touched upon problems of international and regional mutual interest, including the latest developments in the Nagorno Karabakh settlement negotiations process, S. Sargsyan mentioned with satisfaction that Croatia as a country that got independent as a result of Jugoslavia's collapse, realizes very well the importance of the principle of peoples' self-determination and the possible consequences of opposing an armed force to it. "Using force against people struggling for self-determination only strengthens that people's right in the legal, political, and moral sphere," S. Sargsyan said adding that regional conflicts should be settled without use of force, only peacefully and through negotiations. S. Sargsyan also presented to his counterpart the current condition of Armenia's initiative aimed at normalizing Armenia-Turkey relations. In his words, mutual understanding was recorded in the issue that lifting the blockade of Armenia by Turkey and establishment of normal diplomatic relations cannot proceed from any preconditions.

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