NATO SPECIAL ENVOY, ARMENIAN LEADERS TO HOLD TALKS
by Tigran Liloyan

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
May 21, 2006 Sunday 09:57 PM EST

NATO continues to manifest close interest in Armenia. This is evidenced
by the upcoming two-day working visit here by Robert Simmons, NATO
Secretary-General’s special representative for the South Caucasus
and Central Asia.

Mr. Simmons arrives here on Monday for meetings with Armenian President
Robert Kocharyan and other leaders of the republic.

Kocharyan, in his remarks at the end of April, said, “Armenia
does not intend to join NATO”. “Under the programme for individual
partnership, Armenia actively gives greater scope to cooperation
on security-related matters with the North Atlantic Alliance as the
key European organisation,” the Armenian President pointed out. “We
hope for fruitful cooperation (with NATO), particularly in matters
concerning a reform of the Armed Forces of Armenia and peacekeeping
activities,” he said.

Kocharyan pointed out, “Armenia’s Euro-Atlantic ambitions are
well-considered and realistic. They are regarded positively by European
organisations and do not bring about problems in relationships with
Russia”. “We make public our stand equally in Moscow, Brussels,
and Washington,” Kocharyan said.