ARMENIA’S PARTICIPATION IN PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS MUST BE COORDINATED WITH PARTNERS

Regnum, Russia
Sept 9 2006

"Decision on Armenia’s participation in the peacekeeping mission in
Lebanon has to be taken in coordination with geopolitical partners,"
chairman of opposition party The Constitutional Right Union, Armenian
parliament member Hrant Hachatryan at a press conference on Sep 9.

The oppositionist, however, did not specify Armenia’s geopolitical
partners in this issue, REGNUM correspondent reports.

"When Armenia first took decision to participate in a peacekeeping
mission at a state level, I pointed to the problems that we were
consequently to face. Participating in peacekeeping operations is
an important part of geopolitical technologies. By plugging into the
system, Armenian authorities have taken up a serious responsibility,"
Khachatryan stated.

He says he does not rule out the possibility of Armenia’s sending
her peacekeepers to Lebanon. "In each particular case, an individual
decision has to be taken on the issue," he remarked.

Armenian peacekeepers joined in 2004 the peacekeeping mission in
Kosovo as a part of a Greek battalion. From January 2005, Armenian
servicemen have been a part of a Polish peacekeeping division in Iraq.