RICHARD GIRAGOSIAN CONSIDERS ARMENIAN PRESIDENT'S REFUSAL TO ATTEND NATO SUMMIT TO BE A MISTAKE
ARMINFO
Thursday, May 24, 17:52
Armenian Richard Giragosian, Director of the Regional Studies Center
(RSC), an independent think tank in Yerevan, told ArmInfo that
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's refusal to attend the NATO Summit
in Chicago was a mistake.
To recall, it was Serzh Sargsyan's second refusal to attend the NATO
Summit held in Chicago on May 20- 21. The president explained his
decision by the ineligibility of mentioning the topic of the Nagorno-
Karabakh problem in the final declaration.
"The Armenian president should have more able to defend Armenia's
position in the Summit, and the language of the resolution that
was adopted was not that bad, it was balanced between territorial
integrity and self determination", the expert said.
When asked whether the Armenian President's refusal will have any
impact on the relations of the sides, Giragosian said: "Armenia
continues to deepen its ties with NATO, this was a mistake, but there
should not be any implications".
Speaking about NATO-Russia opposition over the issue of anti-missile
defense and about the possible role of the countries of the region,
the expert said: "On the one hand the NATO expansion in this region is
over, even Georgia no time soon will join NATO, in terms of missile
defense systems, even that is a marginal issue, because neither
Armenia nor Azerbaijan plays any serious role in missile defense".
ARMINFO
Thursday, May 24, 17:52
Armenian Richard Giragosian, Director of the Regional Studies Center
(RSC), an independent think tank in Yerevan, told ArmInfo that
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's refusal to attend the NATO Summit
in Chicago was a mistake.
To recall, it was Serzh Sargsyan's second refusal to attend the NATO
Summit held in Chicago on May 20- 21. The president explained his
decision by the ineligibility of mentioning the topic of the Nagorno-
Karabakh problem in the final declaration.
"The Armenian president should have more able to defend Armenia's
position in the Summit, and the language of the resolution that
was adopted was not that bad, it was balanced between territorial
integrity and self determination", the expert said.
When asked whether the Armenian President's refusal will have any
impact on the relations of the sides, Giragosian said: "Armenia
continues to deepen its ties with NATO, this was a mistake, but there
should not be any implications".
Speaking about NATO-Russia opposition over the issue of anti-missile
defense and about the possible role of the countries of the region,
the expert said: "On the one hand the NATO expansion in this region is
over, even Georgia no time soon will join NATO, in terms of missile
defense systems, even that is a marginal issue, because neither
Armenia nor Azerbaijan plays any serious role in missile defense".