·After collapse of Soviet Union, Austrian Foreign Policy towards Eastern Europe and the Danube region. Natural extension is Black Sea Region and in particular the region of the South Caucasus. ·We think we understand the mentality and concern of the people in the region. ·Southern Caucasus region remains of strategic importance for the EU and Austria. Geopolitical players like RF, Turkey and IRI. In addition, the region plays an important role for the future energy supply of Europe (energy corridor). ·We are concerned about protracted conflicts like the crisis in Georgia and the tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Nagorno-Karabach. We hoped for a more positive outcome of the Kazan meeting. There is no alternative to a negotiated solution and the involved parties have to continue to talk, meet and find a mutual acceptable solution. ·One important pillar of our relations is Association Negotiations which EU opened with the 3 South Caucasus countries one year ago. This will be the driving engine also for our bilateral relations. ·June 2010 appointed as Austrian Ambassador to Armenia, then Foreign Minister Spindelegger, together with app. 30 Austrian business people and journalists travelled to the three countries in June 2010. FM Nalbandian this March and PM Sargsyan this June in Vienna. 5th joint Austrian-Armenian economic commission in September in Vienna. ·In Armenia, we opened an Austrian Library at Burssow University in October 2010, an Honorary Consulate in June 2011 and we will be active in the framework of our Development Aid. ·After an Austrian Development Aid delegation had a first fact finding mission this spring in Armenia we already decided to support an important OSCE project with the aim to improve the conditions of economic activities in Armenia and to establish transparent and clear legal instruments. Our hope is that this will facilitate to reduce and hopefully eliminate the risks of corruption. (Regulatory Guillotine) ·This initiative is in line with our more general approach to ensure that democracy, freedom of expression and rule of law continues to evolve in the countries of the Southern Caucasus. ·Armenia made some important steps in this respect: the new law on Freedom of Assembly adopted in April of this year is one important example to strengthen democracy. ·Also in the field of media freedom, we applaud Armenia for decriminalizing defamation and insult. This will strengthen the position of Armenian journalists. ·These activities are very much in line with one of the priorities of the Austrian Foreign Policy in the field of Human Rights: to defend press- and media freedom including free expression in the internet and social networks as well as to protect journalists in general. ·Austria’s declared aim for the coming years is to improve decisively and sustainably the protection of journalists in all situations, be it in crisis situations or in particular dangerous circumstances. Austria will actively promote this aim in our work in the Human Rights Council of the United Nations as well as in the framework of our OSCE activities. ·We therefore encourage the Armenian authorities to continue their way of strengthening press- and media freedom and for instance ask them to further amend the Law on Radio and Television within the framework of broadcast transition to the digital system. In doing so, Armenia could ensure genuine pluralistic broadcast media in the country. ·It is however not only important to improve media legislation and related self-regulatory mechanism. Equally important is how the public, the people in Armenia, perceive their national media and press. Whether they feel that press- and media freedom is a reality. ·A recent opinion poll of the Caucasus Research Center published only some days ago shows the following picture: ·Apparently only 7 % of the 1.400 households who took part in the nationwide poll responded that newspaper cover events objectively. Asked why that is, 63 % allegedly responded because reporting is attached to a political entity, 8 % because of censorship and 6 % because of attachment to business circles. ·Asked whether or not national newspapers are independent of control from government and/or the business sector 21 % said they are not independent and only 5 % said that they are largely independent. ·In conclusion, I would like to thank Austrian Airlines for supporting this seminar and I would like to extend our special thank you to Adilia DAMINOVA from the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media who will present us the relevant work of the OSCE in Russian language and Anthony MILLS, Press Freedom and Communication Manager of the International Press Institute who will inform us about the IPI work. We are grateful to both speakers that only on very short notice they accepted to participate today.

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