TOROSIAN: ARMENIA MADE NO STATEMENTS ON INTENTION TO JOIN NATO

Yerkir
14.06.2006 16:35

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – June 13 Armenian Parliament Speaker Tigran
Torosian met with the joint delegation of the subcommittee of the
future security and defense potential, the committee for defense and
security and the subcommittee for democratic administration of the
NATO PA, reported the RA NA press service.

Welcoming the guests, the RA NA Chairman assessed the visit as a
recurrent step towards the Armenia-NATO cooperation and expressed
satisfaction with the dynamics of its development.

The significance of the Armenia-NATO Individual Partnership Action
Plan (IPAP) was also stressed. According to Tigran Torosian, Armenia’s
status of an associated NATO PA member is an important stimulus for
deepening relations. At that he remarked that these relations are
developing not only in the defense sector but also for harmonization
of the RA legislation with the democratic, political and European
standards.

During the meeting the NATO PA representatives inquired whether
Armenia, whose priority is the EU membership, is going to join the
NATO. In reply Tigran Torosian reminded that there are EU member
states, which are not NATO member states and this is a normal
phenomenon.

He confirmed that the priority of Armenia’s foreign policy is the EU
membership. As for the intention to join the NATO, Armenia has made
no statements of the kind but pursues a consistent line for deepening
relations with the Alliance, the RA NA Speaker remarked.

The National Assembly Speaker also underscored that Armenia has always
been an adherent to normal relations with the neighbor states without
preconditions and considers that contacts, debates and open dialogue
are essential for the establishment of relations.

He said Armenia has already taken certain moves within the PACE and
the South Caucasian Parliamentary Initiative and expects similar
steps from the neighbors.