Regnum, Russia
Oct 13 2006

NATO special representative visit to Armenia marked by launch of IPAP
– Oskanyan

Visit of NATO Special Representative for the South Caucasus and
Central Asia Robert Simmons to Armenia was marked by the launch of
the NATO Individual Partnership Action Program (IPAP), Minister of
Foreign Affairs of Armenia Vardan Oskanyan informed at a joint press
conference with Robert Simmons Oct 12 in Yerevan. REGNUM
correspondent reports the minister to inform that IPAP is being
implemented in all directions. Robert Simmons also pointed to the
progress in implementing the NATO program.

Answering a question, whether the NATO and EU programs complement
each other, Vardan Oskanyan said that the Armenian `Euro-trend
consists of the three items: NATO, the EU, and liabilities before the
Council of Europe.’ `Hence, a Coordination Council was created
according to the decision of Robert Kocharyan that is designed to
ensure that same items are not repeated in different programs.
However, the NATO and EU partnership programs are so extensive that
they complement each other.’

Robert Simmons informed that NATO mainly concentrates on the issues
of security and reform in the Armenian armed forces. Economic issues
and the human rights field are in the focus of EU and CE. The Council
of Europe is also actively engaged in organizing and running
monitoring missions during elections. Each organization has its own
priorities that, however, complement each other, the NATO special
representative explained.