CHAIRMAN OF BELGIAN SENATE’S FOREIGN RELATIONS AND DEFENCE COMMISSION AND ARMENIAN DEFENCE MINISTER DISCUSS SECURITY PROBLEMS OF NKR AND REGION

Noyan Tapan
Aug 29 2006

YEREVAN, AUGUST 29, NOYAN TAPAN. The Secretary of the National
Security Council under the RA President, RA Defence Minister Serge
Sargsian on August 29 received the Chairman of the Belgian Senate’s
Commission of Foreign Relations and Defence Senator Francois Roelant
du Vivier. According to Spokesman for the RA Defence Minister Colonel
Seyran Shahsuvarian, at the beginning of the meeting, the sides noted
that the Armenian-Belgian relations are developing and entering a new
qualitative stage. Speaking about the necessity to expand diplomatic
relations, the senator stated the Belgian authorities’ intention
to open an embassy in the South Caucasus. As regards the regional
countries’ obligations for joining the European family, the senator
underlined the importance of Turkey’s recognition of the Armenian
Genocide, and considered the destruction of Armenian khachkars in Hin
Jugha (Nakhichevan) by Azerbaijan as unacceptable. Speaking about the
Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, Roelant du Vivier expressed concern
at an increase in Azerbaijan’s military budget, and said that it
is not always that an army’s fighting efficiency is measured by its
budget. The sides also discussed the current stage of the Karabakh
conflict settlement, problems of regional security and other issues
of mutual interest.