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Sarkisian Seeks Closer Military Ties With Britain

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  • Sarkisian Seeks Closer Military Ties With Britain

    SARKISIAN SEEKS CLOSER MILITARY TIES WITH BRITAIN
    By Emil Danielyan

    Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
    Oct 11 2006

    Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian called for the deepening of defense
    and security ties between Armenia and Britain during talks with a
    visiting senior British official on Wednesday.

    Meeting with British Minister for Europe Geoff Hoon, Sarkisian
    suggested that the two countries draw up "long-term programs of
    military cooperation." A statement by the Armenian Defense Ministry
    cited him as saying that such programs are needed for achieving
    "tangible results" in the ongoing bilateral activities in the areas
    of international peace-keeping, military training and defense reforms.

    The statement said Hoon, who served as Britain's defense secretary
    from 1999-2005, welcomed the idea and expressed his readiness to help
    to solve "problems arising during the deepening of [British-Armenian]
    cooperation." It did not give further details, saying only that the
    two men also discussed the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and
    other challenges to regional security.

    Hoon arrived in Yerevan on Tuesday and left it later on Wednesday as
    part of his tour of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The low-key visit
    involved no talks with President Robert Kocharian, with Hoon meeting
    only with Sarkisian and Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian. The latter's
    press office did not immediately release any statements on the meeting.

    Sarkisian's calls for closer British-Armenian military ties came amid
    Yerevan's growing cooperation with NATO and the U.S. military in
    particular under an "individual partnership action plan" which was
    launched late last year. Sarkisian has repeatedly stated that that
    cooperation is now an increasingly important elements of Armenia's
    national security doctrine that continues to be anchored in a military
    alliance with Russia.
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