ARMENIA NOT TO PARTICIPATE YET IN PEACE-KEEPING MISSION IN ISRAELI-LEBANESE CONFLICT ZONE

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Aug 31 2006

YEREVAN, AUGUST 31, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Armenia is not
going at present to send a formation to the Israeli-Lebanese conflict
zone to implement peace-keeping mission. Victor Soghomonian, the RA
President’s Press Secretary stated about it at the August 30 press
conference. In his words, the first reason for Armenia’s not taking
such a step is that the mandate of peace-keeping forces, the circle
of their actions, is not finally defined yet.

According to Victor Soghomonian’s estimation, that step will create
additional difficulties, especially when it’s clear that "the Armenian
formation may not have a serious role near formations of other
countries." On the other hand, in his words, "the Republic of Armenia
should be concerned with interests of Lebanese Armenia Diaspora
of great number, understanding that the Armenian peace-keepers’
participation in different clashes may arise problems for the
Armenian community." "Official Yerevan is simply ought to think of all
these. This arises the decision which exists today: the peace-keeping
forces of Armenia will not participate yet in the peace-keeping mission
in the Islaeli-Lebanese conflict zone," the RA President’s Spokesman
emphasized. To recap, formations of Armenia participate at present
in the peace-keeping mission being implemented in Kosovo and Iraq.