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NATO SEES PROGRESS IN DEFENSE REFORMS IN ARMENIA
http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2009-10 -16-nato-sees-progress-in-defense-reforms-in-armen ia
Friday October 16, 2009
Yerevan - Special progress has been made in Armenia in carrying out
defense reforms within the framework of implementing the Individual
Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) of NATO.
Mediamax reports that the Representative of NATO International
Staff Lorenz Meyer-Minnemann said this during the first space bridge
between the Information Center on NATO in Yerevan and the alliance's
headquarters in Brussels on October 14.
According to Mr. Meyer-Minnemann, practical evidence of those reforms
is the quality of work being carried out by the Armenian peacekeeping
contingent in Kosovo.
Mr. Meyer-Minnemann stated that there has significant progress in
institutional reforms, in particular, by involving a large number of
civilians in the work of the defense ministry of Armenia.
"Earlier this year, NATO and Armenia signed an agreement on updating
IPAP, and in this context, Armenia has yet to carry out volume work,"
Mr. Meyer-Minnemann stated.
He spoke highly of the relations between Armenia and NATO, stating
that Armenia has demonstrated great activity in the process of the
"Partnership for Peace" program implementation.
Mr. Meyer-Minnemann expressed the opinion that normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations will be of great importance for providing
security in the region and will positively influence relations between
Armenia and the North Atlantic Alliance.
Head of Alliance Operations Division Erik Sandahl, during the space
bridge, said active negotiations are in process with Armenia regarding
its participation in ISAF International operation in Afghanistan.
According to Mr. Sandahl, the main issue is the deployment of an
Armenian peacekeeping subdivision in the north Afghan province of
Kunduz in February, 2010.
Ambassador of Armenia to NATO Samvel Lazarian said that presently,
the coordination of the corresponding legal documents between Armenia
and NATO is in process.
"Striving to send its peacekeeping contingent to Afghanistan, Armenia
is trying to make its contribution to securing international security
and increase professional qualification of Armenian Armed Forces," Mr.
Lazarian stated.
He stated that the Armenian subdivision in Afghanistan will not
participate in military actions, but will be involved in the defense
of Kunduz Airport. The Armenian ambassador noted that the province
of Kunduz is a relatively peaceful region in Afghanistan, where the
German military contingent, consisting of a few thousands soldiers,
is deployed.
A day earlier at a forum entitled, "The role of NATO and the EU
in ensuring stability in Armenia and the South Caucasus," NATO
Coordinator-Officer for the South Caucasus Zbigniew Ribatski stated
that the alliance and the European Union collaboratively assist in
the maintenance of peace and stability in the Caucasus. NATO is not
involved in the regulation process of the conflicts in South Caucasus,
but it is interested in their peaceful regulation. According to him,
the improvement of Armenian-Turkish relations will bring Armenia and
NATO closer to each other, as Turkey is a member of the North-Atlantic
Alliance as well.
"The cooperation of Armenia and NATO is developing quite actively in
the direction of some programs, but in Armenia there still exists the
stereotype of a negative attitude toward NATO, a heritage of its the
Soviet past," Mr. Ribatski noted. "Armenia has taken an important
step by regulating its relations with Turkey... I hope that over a
period of time Armenia will change its negative attitude toward NATO."
Speaking of the relations of the countries in the region with NATO,
he noted that the alliance attaches a military importance to the
relations with its partners. Affiliation to NATO is not part of
Armenia's foreign policy agenda. However, if Armenia is interested,
it will be possible to speak of the country's affiliation, said Mr.
Ribatski. According to him, NATO respects Armenia's decision to
strengthen its military cooperation with Russia.
http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2009-10 -16-nato-sees-progress-in-defense-reforms-in-armen ia
Friday October 16, 2009
Yerevan - Special progress has been made in Armenia in carrying out
defense reforms within the framework of implementing the Individual
Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) of NATO.
Mediamax reports that the Representative of NATO International
Staff Lorenz Meyer-Minnemann said this during the first space bridge
between the Information Center on NATO in Yerevan and the alliance's
headquarters in Brussels on October 14.
According to Mr. Meyer-Minnemann, practical evidence of those reforms
is the quality of work being carried out by the Armenian peacekeeping
contingent in Kosovo.
Mr. Meyer-Minnemann stated that there has significant progress in
institutional reforms, in particular, by involving a large number of
civilians in the work of the defense ministry of Armenia.
"Earlier this year, NATO and Armenia signed an agreement on updating
IPAP, and in this context, Armenia has yet to carry out volume work,"
Mr. Meyer-Minnemann stated.
He spoke highly of the relations between Armenia and NATO, stating
that Armenia has demonstrated great activity in the process of the
"Partnership for Peace" program implementation.
Mr. Meyer-Minnemann expressed the opinion that normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations will be of great importance for providing
security in the region and will positively influence relations between
Armenia and the North Atlantic Alliance.
Head of Alliance Operations Division Erik Sandahl, during the space
bridge, said active negotiations are in process with Armenia regarding
its participation in ISAF International operation in Afghanistan.
According to Mr. Sandahl, the main issue is the deployment of an
Armenian peacekeeping subdivision in the north Afghan province of
Kunduz in February, 2010.
Ambassador of Armenia to NATO Samvel Lazarian said that presently,
the coordination of the corresponding legal documents between Armenia
and NATO is in process.
"Striving to send its peacekeeping contingent to Afghanistan, Armenia
is trying to make its contribution to securing international security
and increase professional qualification of Armenian Armed Forces," Mr.
Lazarian stated.
He stated that the Armenian subdivision in Afghanistan will not
participate in military actions, but will be involved in the defense
of Kunduz Airport. The Armenian ambassador noted that the province
of Kunduz is a relatively peaceful region in Afghanistan, where the
German military contingent, consisting of a few thousands soldiers,
is deployed.
A day earlier at a forum entitled, "The role of NATO and the EU
in ensuring stability in Armenia and the South Caucasus," NATO
Coordinator-Officer for the South Caucasus Zbigniew Ribatski stated
that the alliance and the European Union collaboratively assist in
the maintenance of peace and stability in the Caucasus. NATO is not
involved in the regulation process of the conflicts in South Caucasus,
but it is interested in their peaceful regulation. According to him,
the improvement of Armenian-Turkish relations will bring Armenia and
NATO closer to each other, as Turkey is a member of the North-Atlantic
Alliance as well.
"The cooperation of Armenia and NATO is developing quite actively in
the direction of some programs, but in Armenia there still exists the
stereotype of a negative attitude toward NATO, a heritage of its the
Soviet past," Mr. Ribatski noted. "Armenia has taken an important
step by regulating its relations with Turkey... I hope that over a
period of time Armenia will change its negative attitude toward NATO."
Speaking of the relations of the countries in the region with NATO,
he noted that the alliance attaches a military importance to the
relations with its partners. Affiliation to NATO is not part of
Armenia's foreign policy agenda. However, if Armenia is interested,
it will be possible to speak of the country's affiliation, said Mr.
Ribatski. According to him, NATO respects Armenia's decision to
strengthen its military cooperation with Russia.