R. KOCHARIAN: ARMENIA’S ACCESSION TO NATO TO REDUCE COUNTRY’S SECURITY LEVEL

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
June 26 2007

YEREVAN, June 26. /ARKA/. Armenia’s accession to NATO will reduce
the country’s security level, Armenian President Robert Kocharian
told a press conference.

"The issue of Armenia’s accession to NATO is not on the Armenian
foreign policy agenda presently, but we are willing to develop the
cooperation with this structure. We already have the Armenia-NATO
Individual Partnership Action Plan," Kocharian said.

In joining a military bloc, Armenia should consider whether its
security level is increased, Kocharian said. He pointed out that
Armenia’s accession to NATO will reduce the country’s security level
and that the current format of relations between Armenia and NATO is
the best one.

Armenia and NATO currently cooperate within Armenia-NATO Individual
Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) signed in December 2005.

Armenia’s involvement in IPAP suggests periodic consultations with
NATO on regional security, development of the security strategy,
elaboration of the military doctrine of Armenia, improvement of the
process of defense and budgetary planning and other issues.