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ARMENIA, NATO REAFFIRM PLANS FOR 'DEEPER PARTNERSHIP'
Armen Koloyan
Armenialiberty.org
March 6 2012
President Serzh Sarkisian reaffirmed his desire to continue deepening
Armenia's ties with NATO as he met with NATO Secretary General Anders
Fogh Rasmussen and addressed the alliance's top decision-making body
in Brussels on Tuesday.
The talks centered on Yerevan's Individual Partnership Action Plan
(IPAP) with NATO and its participation in the NATO-led International
Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.
"Armenia is actively cooperating with NATO in all areas of our
partnership," Sarkisian said after the meeting with Rasmussen. He
pointed out that the IPAP was again modified last November, presumably
with the aim of stepping up bilateral cooperation.
"I would like to reaffirm Armenia's readiness to continue the mutually
beneficial cooperation with NATO," Sarkisian told journalists.
"Our alliance attaches great importance to our partnership with Armenia
and we are grateful for Armenia's contribution to our ISAF mission in
Afghanistan," Rasmussen said for his part. "NATO and Armenia share
many political priorities and security interests. We have built up
our cooperation and dialogue over many years."
"I expect our discussions today to confirm our interest to take
forward and deepen our partnership," Rasmussen said.
The two men spoke before attending a session of NATO's governing
North Atlantic Council at the alliance headquarters in Brussels.
Rasmussen said the meeting will discuss, among other things,
preparations for NATO's upcoming summit in Chicago that should decide
the future of the Western-led mission in Afghanistan. "As an ISAF
contributor, Armenia will participate closely in the decision-shaping
process," he said.
Yerevan almost tripled the Armenian participation in the ISAF when it
sent an additional 81 soldiers to Afghanistan in June last year. In
a related development, the Armenian military plans to hold joint
military exercises with U.S. forces next month.
"We realize that modern [security] threats and challenges can
be overcome only with collective efforts," Sarkisian said before
addressing the North Atlantic Council. "For that purpose we tripled
the size of the Armenian military contingent participating in the
ISAF last summer."
A statement issued by Sarkisian's press office later in the day said
the Armenian leader delivered an extensive speech at the council
meeting which touched upon Armenia-NATO relations, "challenges facing
Armenia" and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "President Sarkisian
answered questions from participants and expressed gratitude for
their words of appreciation and encouragement," it said.
From: Baghdasarian
Armen Koloyan
Armenialiberty.org
March 6 2012
President Serzh Sarkisian reaffirmed his desire to continue deepening
Armenia's ties with NATO as he met with NATO Secretary General Anders
Fogh Rasmussen and addressed the alliance's top decision-making body
in Brussels on Tuesday.
The talks centered on Yerevan's Individual Partnership Action Plan
(IPAP) with NATO and its participation in the NATO-led International
Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.
"Armenia is actively cooperating with NATO in all areas of our
partnership," Sarkisian said after the meeting with Rasmussen. He
pointed out that the IPAP was again modified last November, presumably
with the aim of stepping up bilateral cooperation.
"I would like to reaffirm Armenia's readiness to continue the mutually
beneficial cooperation with NATO," Sarkisian told journalists.
"Our alliance attaches great importance to our partnership with Armenia
and we are grateful for Armenia's contribution to our ISAF mission in
Afghanistan," Rasmussen said for his part. "NATO and Armenia share
many political priorities and security interests. We have built up
our cooperation and dialogue over many years."
"I expect our discussions today to confirm our interest to take
forward and deepen our partnership," Rasmussen said.
The two men spoke before attending a session of NATO's governing
North Atlantic Council at the alliance headquarters in Brussels.
Rasmussen said the meeting will discuss, among other things,
preparations for NATO's upcoming summit in Chicago that should decide
the future of the Western-led mission in Afghanistan. "As an ISAF
contributor, Armenia will participate closely in the decision-shaping
process," he said.
Yerevan almost tripled the Armenian participation in the ISAF when it
sent an additional 81 soldiers to Afghanistan in June last year. In
a related development, the Armenian military plans to hold joint
military exercises with U.S. forces next month.
"We realize that modern [security] threats and challenges can
be overcome only with collective efforts," Sarkisian said before
addressing the North Atlantic Council. "For that purpose we tripled
the size of the Armenian military contingent participating in the
ISAF last summer."
A statement issued by Sarkisian's press office later in the day said
the Armenian leader delivered an extensive speech at the council
meeting which touched upon Armenia-NATO relations, "challenges facing
Armenia" and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "President Sarkisian
answered questions from participants and expressed gratitude for
their words of appreciation and encouragement," it said.
From: Baghdasarian