Action Plans are to be signed here on Tuesday within the framework of the policy of neighbourhood between the European Union and three Southern Caucasus countries -- Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

Following the signing of those documents, the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia are to meet for bilateral talks. Both Ministers expressed confidence that the signing of the Action Plans would provide a fine opportunity for progress on the Nagorno Karabakh issue.

Vartan Oskanyan emphasized that the Action Plans "contain a common vision of the situation in the region". "After they are signed, we shall move to another room to discuss the Nagorno Karabakh problem -- this will be a basically new phase of the negotiating process. We shall do our best to achieve progress and prepare a meeting between our Presidents on the problem".

Elmar Mammadyarov, for his part, referred to the frozen conflicts as "the main challenge to the Southern Caucasus countries." He shared the optimism of his Armenian counterpart but stressed that one must make headway in resolving the Nagorno Karabakh problem in an "utterly careful way". Itar-Tass