SPEAKER OF ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT SEES HIS COUNTRY’S FUTURE NOT IN RUSSIA-BELARUS UNION

Regnum, Russia
May 2 2006

Speaker of the Armenian parliament Artur Bagdassaryan has commented on
reaction of statements by some Armenian politicians to his statements
made in an interview to a German newspaper, according to which “Armenia
is aimed at the US and NATO, and Russia should not hinder the process
of Armenia’s Euro-integration.” To remind, after the statement made
by the speaker of the Armenian parliament, the country’s President
Robert Kocharyan reminded that Armenian foreign policy is defined by
leadership of the country, in particular, the president, and statements
made by the speaker is his personal stand changed with time.

As Bagdassaryan announced on Tuesday, in the interview to the German
newspaper he expressed “logical Armenia’s position favoring European
integration and deepening relations with NATO. I was speaking about the
future, which I think to be right for our country. I know Armenia’s
foreign policy and know that at present moment the issue of NATO
membership is not on the agenda. However, my position is not in that
Armenia becomes a NATO member as early as tomorrow morning; it is
aimed at a much longer perspective, later than in 12 or 20 months.

In future I see Armenia in the European Council, not in the
Russia-Belarus Union. I think, there are no serious contradictions
between my position and positions of other coalition forces and the
president. If there are serious contradictions in foreign and domestic
policies, Orinats Yerkir Party is ready to leave the coalition in
order not to put the colleagues into a difficult position,” the
Armenian speaker, who heads the party, said.

He also noted that speaking about the Euro-integration process, he did
not mean bad relations with Russia. “I am not proponent of the forces
that are trying to oppose Russia to Western values. As for NATO, we
have the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) that envisages
legislative and institutional reforms. The Armenian parliament is
ready carry out these reforms. At the same time, Russia has been
deepening relations with NATO, and why shouldn’t Armenia do the
same by deepening these relations that meets its national interests,
Artur Bagdassaryan asked in conclusion.”