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05/23/2006
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1) Armenia Forging Closer Links with Europe And NATO
2) United Labor Party Joins Armenian Coalition
3) Turkish And Greek Fighter Jets Collide in Mid-air

1) Armenia Forging Closer Links with Europe And NATO

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)–Armenia is stepping up its efforts to forge closer
links with European and Euro-Atlantic structures, President Robert Kocharian
told the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) special representative to
the South Caucasus and Central Asia, Robert Simmons.
In a meeting with Simmons, Kocharian said he has set up an inter-agency
commission charged with coordinating his administration’s efforts at European
integration.
“Our objective is to not only keep the planned work on track but to move
forward at a bit higher tempo and implement joint programs in full,” he said.
Kocharian referred to Armenia’s involvement in the European Union’s European
Neighborhood Policy (ENP) program, which entitles it to a privileged
relationship with the club, and the implementation of its Individual
Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) with NATO.
Prime Minister Andranik Markarian said during a separate meeting with Simmons
on Monday that closer ties with NATO are “one of the important components of
Armenia’s multi-layered security system.” Yerevan therefore stands for an
“expansion of the political dialogue” with the US-led alliance, he added.
Simmons praised this policy as he wrapped up his two-day visit to the
Armenian
capital. “Armenia wants to build a stronger partnership with NATO,” he told a
news conference. “We are happy with the level of our relationship.”
The IPAP, which was launched last December, aims to bring Armenia closer to
NATO by envisaging, among other things, a reform of its military that would
boost its interoperability with the armed forces of NATO member states.
Simmons approved of the pace at which Armenia is implementing the IPAP
program
and noted that significant progress has been made, particularly in the defense
sphere and consolidation of democracy in Armenia.
Yerevan undertook a project to develop and publicize a “defense doctrine” and
a broader “national security strategy” in the coming years. A separate
inter-ministerial commission headed by Defense Minister Serge Sarkisian is
already working on both documents.
Another stated aim of the IPAP is a democratization of Armenia’s political
system, the strengthening of its judiciary system, and a fight against
corruption. Statements released by Kocharian’s and Markarian’s offices, quoted
Simmons as stressing the need for “strengthening democracy.”
Kocharian and other Armenian leaders have repeatedly stated that the IPAP is
not a prelude to an Armenian bid to join the alliance.
“NATO is not forcing Armenia to join the alliance or cut ties with other
organizations or states,” Simmons said.
He said that NATO appreciates Armenia’s involvement in peacekeeping missions
and hopes to boost the cooperation in this sphere in future.
During his meetings, Simmons also discussed Armenian-Turkish relations with
the Armenian officials.
Simmons said that being a NATO member country, Turkey has approved of
Armenia’s IPAP with NATO. He said he hoped that cooperation within the
frameworks of the IPAP will promote improved relations between the two
countries.
Simmons also commented on the Karabagh conflict, saying that NATO is not
directly involved in the process of the conflict regulation, but hopes that
the
negotiating sides will reach mutually acceptable agreement.

2) United Labor Party Joins Armenian Coalition

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)The United Labor Party (MAK) joined Armenia’s governing
coalition on Monday, replacing the Orinats Yerkir party whose leader,
parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian, formally tendered his resignation to
fellow legislators.
The United Labor Party (MAK) was given the post of culture minister and three
other senior government positions in return for lending support to the cabinet
of Prime Minister Andranik Markarian. Under the power-sharing deal, MAK will
also name the new chairman of the Armenian parliament committee on defense and
security.
The party was offered to join the coalition despite having the smallest
faction in Parliament, which holds only six of out its 131 seats.
Though not formally affiliated with the MAK, Armenia’s new culture minister,
Hasmik Poghosian, is known to have close links with its leader Gurgen
Arsenian.
Poghosian led a non-governmental organization promoting cultural ties with the
outside world before her appointment, which was endorsed by Kocharian.
Three other MAK nominees were appointed to the posts of deputy minister of
labor and social affairs and deputy governor of the northern Shirak and Lori
regions. All three jobs were previously held by Orinats Yerkir members.

3) Turkish And Greek Fighter Jets Collide in Mid-air

ANKARA (AFP)–Greek and Turkish F-16 fighter jets collided in mid-air over the
eastern Aegean Sea, an area where the two NATO allies often engage in mock dog
fights amid disputes over their airspace control, both sides said.
Turkey announced that the Greek pilot died while the Turkish pilot ejected
and
was rescued by a Panama-registered cargo ship before being repatriated by a
Turkish army helicopter.
The two sides gave different accounts of the accident which occurred some 35
miles (55 kilometers) south of the Greek island of Rhodes, with the Turkish
army saying that the collision took place in international airspace and the
Greek army charging that the planes were in airspace overseen by Athens.
But officials from the two countries rushed to underline that they would not
let the incident affect bilateral ties which have improved significantly in
recent year.
The Turkish army said the two jets had collided when Greek warplanes
attempted
to intercept Turkish jets on “routine training flights” in international air
space.
The Greek armed forces, however, said the collision took place in the Athens
Flight Information Region (FIR)–the flight zone overseen by the Athens
airport
control tower.
They said in a statement that a Turkish RF-4 and two F-16s entered the Athens
FIR “without laying down flight plans” and heading towards the island of
Crete,
“violating the rules of aerial navigation.”
A formation of two Greek F-16s then took off to “investigate the planes and
assure the security of international traffic,” it said.
During a “reconnaissance maneuver” a Greek F-16 and a Turkish F-16
collided at
an altitude of 27,000 feet (8,230 meters) and the planes crashed, the
statement
said.
But Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul denied the Greek charges.
“The incident took place in international airspace. Furthermore our flight
was
a scheduled flight. It had been conveyed in advance to NATO,” he told
reporters
in Ankara, the Anatolia news agency reported.
Turkey says its planes flying over the Aegean hand over flight plans to NATO
prior to take-off and have posted their electronic in-flight identification
since October 2001.
It says Greece does not reciprocate such measures.
Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis and her Turkish counterpart Abdullah
Gul spoke by telephone and expressed regret over the incident, saying it
should
not affect relations, the two foreign ministries said.
“In their talks, the two ministers were unanimous on shedding light on the
incident and not allowing it to affect bilateral ties,” the Turkish statement
said.
Despite a significant thaw in ties in recent years, Turkey and Greece remain
at odds over territorial rights in the Aegean, accusing each other of
violations.
Athens has long complained of frequent violations of its air space by Turkish
aircraft. Turkey, however, says its planes fly in international air space.
Greece claims a 10-mile air space limit around its coastline but Turkey only
recognizes six miles, arguing that under international rules Greece’s airspace
should be the same as its territorial waters.
Turkey is under European Union pressure to resolve territorial disputes with
Greece, a bloc member.
In 1996, the two neighbors nearly went to war over an uninhabited rocky islet
in the Aegean, but the United States stepped in and defused the tension.
After decades of animosity, ties notably improved after 1999 when deadly
earthquakes in the two countries triggered an unprecedented outpouring of
solidarity between their people.
Diplomats from both countries have engaged in closed-door talks since January
2002 to try to resolve their disputes but no concrete result has been publicly
announced so far.
But the two neighbors disagree even about the extent of the dispute.
While Greece claims the only issue to be dealt with is that of continental
shelf rights, Turkey says there is a plethora of problems ranging from the
boundaries of territorial waters to the status of islands whose sovereignty
remains unclear.

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