Armenian Leader Kocharyan Passes on NATO Summit

Zaman, Turkey
May 11 2004

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan reportedly will not participate
in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit, which will
be held in Istanbul in late June. In his statement to the Russian
Itar-Tass news agency, Armenian Presidential Press Secretary Ashot
Kocharyan said that the decision of President Kocharyan could be
explained by ‘the current situation of the relations between Armenia
and Turkey’.

Kocharyan stressed that there has not been any further development
in the Armenia-Turkey relationship.

“I want to emphasize that Armenia is ready to develop its relations
with Turkey without putting forward any pre-conditions,” said the Press
Secretary. Kocharyan then added that Foreign Affairs Minister Vardan
Oskanyan would represent Armenia at the NATO summit. He finished by
saying that the relations between Armenia and NATO would continue
around the concept of Partnership for Peace.