NATO: `Armenian people have to decide'
http://www.a1plus.am/en/politics/2011/11/19/nato
02:17 pm | November 19, 2011 | Politics
The group of delegates representing Armenia's public and political
circles invited to NATO in Brussels as part of the Public Diplomacy
Program returned to Yerevan today.
The 15-member delegation included representatives of several political
parties, including the ARF-Dashnaktsutiun and the ANC and the public
sector, particularly the Helsinki Civil Assembly Vanadzor Office,
political scientists and journalists.
During the visit, the topic of reforms being implemented as part of
the Armenia-NATO Individual Partnership Action Plan was discussed. The
Armenian delegates met with the heads and employees of the NATO
Departments of Public Diplomacy, Political Affairs and Security
Policies, the divisions for Extraordinary Security Challenges and
Energy, as well as Head of Armenia's Representation to NATO,
Ambassador Armen Yedigaryan.
The topic of reforms being implemented in Armenia's Armed Forces was
especially touched upon during the debates and interviews. NATO
representatives underlined that the Armenian authorities had adopted a
direction of making the armed forces meet the standards of the
North-Atlantic Alliance and mentioned that Armenia should be
consistent in meeting those standards.
The Armenian delegates shared their impressions of the process of
reforms in the Armed Forces, raised the issues related to the current
corruption in the army, the murders taking place in peace and the
pressure on peaceful demonstrations in Yerevan with the involvement of
the army on March 1 following the 2008 presidential elections that led
to the deaths of 10 citizens.
NATO representatives voiced hope that these phenomena would be
neutralized as a result of the reforms being implemented.
Issues related to the current conflicts in the South Caucasus and the
integration into security systems for avoiding potential threats were
discussed. As is known, unlike Georgia, whihc has refused to integrate
into the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and has taken
a direction to be included in NATO, Armenia has adopted the road of
complimentarism. Armenia, being a CSTO-member, is in close
collaboration with NATO and is implementing a number of programs the
most developed of which is the peacekeeping efforts of the RA Armed
Forces within the International Security Support Forces.
The NATO representatives voiced opinions that Georgia's NATO
integration was inevitable and that it was a matter of time. As far as
Armenia is concerned, according to the representatives, the Armenian
people should determine the system that the country will choose.
http://www.a1plus.am/en/politics/2011/11/19/nato
02:17 pm | November 19, 2011 | Politics
The group of delegates representing Armenia's public and political
circles invited to NATO in Brussels as part of the Public Diplomacy
Program returned to Yerevan today.
The 15-member delegation included representatives of several political
parties, including the ARF-Dashnaktsutiun and the ANC and the public
sector, particularly the Helsinki Civil Assembly Vanadzor Office,
political scientists and journalists.
During the visit, the topic of reforms being implemented as part of
the Armenia-NATO Individual Partnership Action Plan was discussed. The
Armenian delegates met with the heads and employees of the NATO
Departments of Public Diplomacy, Political Affairs and Security
Policies, the divisions for Extraordinary Security Challenges and
Energy, as well as Head of Armenia's Representation to NATO,
Ambassador Armen Yedigaryan.
The topic of reforms being implemented in Armenia's Armed Forces was
especially touched upon during the debates and interviews. NATO
representatives underlined that the Armenian authorities had adopted a
direction of making the armed forces meet the standards of the
North-Atlantic Alliance and mentioned that Armenia should be
consistent in meeting those standards.
The Armenian delegates shared their impressions of the process of
reforms in the Armed Forces, raised the issues related to the current
corruption in the army, the murders taking place in peace and the
pressure on peaceful demonstrations in Yerevan with the involvement of
the army on March 1 following the 2008 presidential elections that led
to the deaths of 10 citizens.
NATO representatives voiced hope that these phenomena would be
neutralized as a result of the reforms being implemented.
Issues related to the current conflicts in the South Caucasus and the
integration into security systems for avoiding potential threats were
discussed. As is known, unlike Georgia, whihc has refused to integrate
into the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and has taken
a direction to be included in NATO, Armenia has adopted the road of
complimentarism. Armenia, being a CSTO-member, is in close
collaboration with NATO and is implementing a number of programs the
most developed of which is the peacekeeping efforts of the RA Armed
Forces within the International Security Support Forces.
The NATO representatives voiced opinions that Georgia's NATO
integration was inevitable and that it was a matter of time. As far as
Armenia is concerned, according to the representatives, the Armenian
people should determine the system that the country will choose.