YEREVAN REMAINS LOYAL TO MOSCOW
Yuri Simonian
Translated by A. Ignatkin

Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, June 28, 2007, p. 7
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
June 29, 2007 Friday

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SAYS HIS COUNTRY WILL NOT JOIN NATO; Armenian
President Robert Kocharian has put an end to speculations about
whether Armenia might join NATO. No such move is being considered.

Armenia seems determined to continue its policy of prioritizing
relations with Russia, while also maintaining a moderate level of
cooperation with NATO.

Armenian President Robert Kocharian has put an end to speculations
about whether Armenia might join NATO. "It would bring down the level
of security and create some serious new problems, he said. Kocharian
made his statement about the dangers involved in NATO membership
at a joint press conference with his Greek counterpart, Karolos
Papoulias, in Yerevan. "When considering membership of military
alliances, a country should decide whether this will enhance its
national security. We believe that the existing framework of security
maintenance is optimal for Armenia," Kocharian said, referring to
the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization.

"Joining NATO is not on Armenia’s agenda," said Kocharian. He added,
however, that Yerevan intends to expand cooperation with NATO within
the framework of the IPAP – holding regular consultations with NATO on
regional security, designing security strategy and military doctrine,
improving the process of defense and budget planning.

Kocharian has effectively dispelled suspicions that NATO official
Robert Summons, who visited Armenia recently, received a signal
indicating Yerevan’s intention to raise relations with NATO to an
entirely new level. Let everything remain as it is: cooperation with
NATO will continue, perhaps even expand, but no radical changes are
being considered in Armenia.

Armenia seems determined to continue its policy of prioritizing
relations with Russia. The first meeting of the Armenian-Russian
nuclear industry cooperation group has been held in Yerevan.

Specialists discussed broad cooperation in construction of new reactors
in Armenia.

Prime Minister Serge Sarkisian refused to commit himself by saying
which plan, Russian or American, will be chosen. "Building a new
nuclear power plant is in Armenia’s interests," he said, "but there’s
no use discussing it now, since we don’t even know the financing
sources for the project, or the technologies, or other vital factors."

Experts maintain that one of the options proposed to Yerevan involves
building a thousand-megawatt nuclear power plant at a cost of about
$2 billion.