ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
September 22, 2004 Wednesday

Armenia not consider NATO membership

By Tigran Liloyan

YEREVAN

Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan noted that Armenia does not
consider NATO membership in its foreign policy.

“There are no changes in this issue. Maximum expansion of
cooperation, interaction but not membership is considered,” the
minister told a news conference in Yerevan on Wednesday.

Armenia intends to cooperate seriously with NATO, and partnership may
be broader, President Robert Kocharyan said receiving the delegation
of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly on September 14. He noted that
Armenia is involved in several NATO programmes.

For his part, Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan said a week ago, “We
praise highly cooperation with NATO that is an important component of
the national security of the republic.” According to him, “if earlier
Armenia had a status of observer, now the country is involved in 50
measures.”