SERGE SARGSIAN: ‘WE’LL CERTAINLY DEEPEN OUR RELATIONS WITH NATO’
Azg/arm
8 April 05
Defense minister of Armenia, Serge Sargsian, told on April 6 that
Armenia will deepen its relations with Nato but “as we occasionally
mention, it will not oppose to our responsibilities within the
framework of the Organization of Collective Security Treaty”.
Mediamax agency quoted Sargsian as saying at a joint press conference
with his Lithuanian counterpart Gediminas Kirkilas: “Having European
integration as a goal before us, we cannot stay away from Nato which
is responsible for security in Europe”.
Serge Sargsian said that Armenia will deepen its relations with Nato
but will not step into military cooperation with the Organization
as yet. “The reason is not that the Nato states are disinterested in
that. All our military equipment is made in Russia and USSR. Trading
even an imperfect structure for a new one in today’s conditions will
not be right both economically and politically”, he said.
Lithuanian defense minister said that Lithuania being a Nato member
“welcomes Armenia’s close relations with Nato”. “We mainly welcome
Armenia’s decision to join the peacekeepers in Iraq, and as we know,
it was a difficult decision”, Kirkilas said.
Regnum agency quotes Lithuanian minister saying: “We were concerned
that our relations with Russia will spoil if we join Nato but as we
see they were nor justified. Just the opposite, before joining Nato
Lithuania settled all its issue with Russia”.
A press release by the Defense Ministry of Armenia notes that on
April 6 Kirkilas was received by President Robert Kocharian, prime
minister Andranik Margarian and foreign minister Vartan Oskanian. The
Lithuanian minister laid a wreath at the Monument of Armenian Genocide
Victims the same day.