NATO seminar in Armenia discusses security issues

Mediamax news agency
28 Oct 04

Yerevan, 28 October: Representatives of 25 NATO member-countries
are taking part in a two-day seminar entitled “Contribute to a more
secure environment through forming public opinion” which opened in
Yerevan today.

NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) is the organizer of
the seminar.

Mediamax news agency quoted Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Tatul
Margaryan as telling the seminar that the events such as this are
aimed at developing the political dialogue among the EAPC countries,
deepening NATO-Armenian relations and expanding the republic’s
participation in the Partnership for Peace Programme.

Speaking about the impact of public opinion on regional processes,
Tatul Margaryan stressed that it was important to fully inform the
public on the issue of security and to restore trust among the South
Caucasus states and peoples.

The deputy minister noted that NATO has been paying a lot of attention
to the South Caucasus countries recently. “After the NATO summit in
Istanbul the focus of the Partnership policy shifted, especially,
on the South Caucasus,” Tatul Margaryan said.

Speaking at the seminar, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public
Diplomacy Jean Fournet called for dialogue among the South Caucasus
countries in order to strengthen security in the region. He noted
the importance of informing the public on the current processes.