ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
November 2, 2004 Tuesday

NATO wants to deepen relations with Armenia – Scheffer

By Tigran Liloyan

YEREVAN

NATO wants to deepen relations with Armenia, NATO Secretary General
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told the Armenian Mediamax news agency in view of
his Yerevan visit. De Hoop Scheffer will come to Armenia on Friday.

Rates of Armenia’s partnership with NATO have been smaller than those
of the other two South Caucasian countries, but the alliance can see
clear signals of Yerevan adherence to the relations with NATO at
present, he said.

For instance, Armenia has recently accredited an ambassador in
Brussels, who will work exclusively on the relations with NATO, and has
expressed the wish to sign an individual partnership plan, he said.

Participation in NATO operations had not been an Armenian priority for
years and it did not take part in the alliance planning and estimation
process, de Hoop Scheffer said. Yet two years ago the Armenian
authorities decided that they would like to have troops capable of
international operations, and the republic joined the process, he said.

Nowadays Armenian servicemen are on mission in Kosovo together with
colleagues from 35 countries, he said. Armenia’s decision to sign the
individual partnership plan will help it use all possible mechanisms of
cooperation with NATO, he noted.