ARMENIA AND LATVIA SIGNED TREATY ON MILITARY COOPERATION.

Pan Armenian News
07.09.2005 02:42

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ September 6 Latvia and Armenia concluded a treaty
on military cooperation. The document was signed in Riga by Defense
Ministers Einars Repse and Serge Sargsyan. To remind, Latvia has
expressed readiness to contribute to the Armenian defense sector
including exchange of experience in peacekeeping operations and to
assist in military training. Upon completion of the signing ceremony
the Armenian Defense Minister commented on Armenia’s plans as regards
NATO. “We consider that the cooperation with NATO is a constituent of
the national security. However joining NATO is not on our foreign line
agenda”, he noted. As for the agreement signed Serge Sargsyan said,
“The experience of bringing the Armed Forces to the NATO standards is
interesting for us. Without aiming to join the Alliance we take part
in the joint measures and think that our Armed Forces will benefit
from it. During the secret negotiations Serge Sargsyan familiarized
his Latvian counterpart in the process of defense reform in Armenia
noting that over insufficient financing Armenian defense cannot reach
the EU and NATO standards, however Armenia will strive for it in
future. In his words, Armenia intends to fully reorganize its Armed
Forces till 2015 that is why the republic is particularly interested
in cooperation with Latvia, a country with similar experience. The
Armenian Minister also showed interest in Latvia’s experience in
international operations and civic defense and invited his counterpart
to Armenia, reported by IA Regnum.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress