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Estonia, Armenia Start Defense Cooperation

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  • Estonia, Armenia Start Defense Cooperation

    ESTONIA, ARMENIA START DEFENSE COOPERATION

    Baltic News Service
    September 9, 2005

    Estonian Defense Minister Jaak Joeruut and his Armenian counterpart
    Serge Sargsyan signed a memorandum of understanding on defense
    cooperation between the two countries in Tallinn on Friday.

    The ministers spoke about possibilities for cooperation in defense
    and developments regarding the NATO Individual Partnership Action
    Plan (IPAP) for Armenia, spokespeople for the Estonian Defense
    Ministry said.

    Within the framework of the IPAP, Armenia is soon about to carry out
    a reform of its defense forces. In this respect the country expects to
    secure a development similar to that of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
    and make its defense forces compatible with the standards of NATO
    and the European Union, the Armenian minister said.

    Sargsyan said Armenia values its participation in the NATO Partnership
    for Peace program and the experience gained by participating in
    multinational missions in Kosovo and Iraq.

    "Estonia welcomes the completion of Armenia's first IPAP and is
    offering Armenia as a NATO partner its help and reform experience in
    the implementation of the IPAP," the Estonian defense minister said.

    As part of his stay in Estonia, the Armenian minister of defense
    visited the Baltic Defense College in the southern city of Tartu,
    meeting with its chief, Lithuanian Brig. Gen. Algis Vaiceliunas.

    "In Baltic Defense College we have an excellent example of very good
    regional cooperation," Sargsyan said.

    Sargsyan also met in Estonia with the chairman of the parliamentary
    national defense committee, Toivo Tootsen.

    Armenia wishes to learn from Estonia's experience, Sargsyan said,
    underscoring that a long-time relationship in the former Soviet Union
    helped Estonia and Armenia better understand each other.

    The Armenian minister backed the Estonian stance that EU membership
    talks with Turkey should start already this year.
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