ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
March 9, 2007 Friday

Armenia not pursues aim of becoming NATO member-deputy FM

Armenia doesn’t pursue the aim of becoming a NATO member, Armenian
Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosian said on Friday.

“In our relations with this organization we consider complementarity
of our foreign policy and cooperation as key principles,” he said at
a meeting at the NATO information centre in Armenia.

“Cooperation with NATO is important for Armenia from the point of
view of cooperation itself, political and economic processes in the
republic, reform and modernization of the country’s army, in
particular, of its civil component,” Kirakosian said.

“Of late our relations with NATO became one of Armenia’s foreign
policy priorities, and full-fledged cooperation with the Alliance is
a component of the republic’s multi-layer security system,” he said.

Over the past years Armenia expanded its participation in NATO’s
Partnership for Peace Program, he said.

“This participation gives an excusive opportunity for inclusion to
modern concepts and defence policy,” he said. “It may be properly
applied to modernization and upgrading of the country’s defence
system.”

He pointed out that Armenia’s cooperation with NATO is multifaceted
and includes regular dialogues, political consultations with NATO
member-countries on foreign policy and security and participation in
NATO operations.