IF TURKEY WERE GUIDED BY VALUES ACCEPTABLE TO EUROPEAN FAMILY, ARMENIA AND GREECE WOULD NOT HAVE TO ALLOCATE MUCH MONEY FOR DEFENCE SECTOR, GREEK PRESIDENT SAYS
Noyan Tapan
Jun 27 2007
YEREVAN, JUNE 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian government is willing
to make all efforts in order to implement the agreements reached
between the Armenian and Greek presidents – for the good of the two
countries and the friendly Armenian and Greek peoples. The Armenian
prime minister Serge Sargsian stated this during the June 27 meeting
with the Greek president Karolos Papoulias, who is on a state visit
to Armenia, and the delegation headed by him.
S. Sargsian expressed his gratitude for the assistance that Greece has
provided to Armenia, underlining the cooperation in and assistance
to the military sphere. The prime minister noted that having worked
for many years in the security sphere and being in contact with the
heads of the Greek defence ministry, he has constantly felt their
warm friendly attitude and their willingness to cooperate. The prime
miniter attached importance to the extension and further development
of this cooperation, especially now that Armenia is implementing the
Individual Partnership Action Plan with NATO and the experience and
support of Greece may be of great use.
S. Sargsian subscribed to the Greek president’s opinion that there are
not so many friendly countries with common interests in this complex
region, so with the aim of ensuring the security and prosperity of
the friendly peoples, it is necessary to join efforts for the solution
of current problems and the implementation of development programs.
K. Papoulias said that if Turkey, a difficult and problem causing
neighboring country, were eventually guided by values acceptable
to the European family, both Greece and Armenia would not have to
allocate more money from their countries’ gross domestic product
in order to deal with defence and security-related problems at the
expense of social programs.
The Greek president spoke with satisfaction about the high level of
bilateral political relations, as well as about the cooperation and
mutual support of Armenia and Greece in the internatioal arena. He
noted that Greece has some experience of European integration and
Euroatlantic activities and is ready to share this experience with
Armenia for the purpose of accomplishing the goals of the Armenian
foreign policy.
During the meeting, the sides attached importance to efficient
activities of the Armenian-Greek Intergovernmental Commission in
promoting the economic cooperation. They pointed out agriculture,
trade, tourism, defence, and education as promising sectors from the
viewpoint of cooperation, which, according to the Armenian prime
minister, are also given priority in the program on the Armenian
government’s activities for the next five years.
At the end of the meeting, the Greek president expressed confidence
that the Greek and Armenian peoples, which are quite similar in terms
of their human potential, knowledge and skills and have been able
to overcome all difficulties in the course of their centuries-old
history, will make progress and achieve success by assisting each
other and establishing closer relations.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
