MP SAYS TURKEY BACKS ARMENIA’S INVOLVEMENT IN NATO EVENTS

Mediamax Agency
Dec 20 2007
Armenia

Yerevan, 20 December: Turkey is closely monitoring the development of
Armenia-NATO relations, the chairman of the defence, national security
and internal affairs parliamentary commission, Artur Aghabekyan,
said today.

While speaking at the "Armenia-Turkey relations: problems and
perspectives" parliamentary session today, Aghabekyan said that Turkey
has never used its rights of veto against Armenia’s involvement in
the events held under NATO auspices, Mediamax news agency reported.

Armenia always received invitations for participation in NATO events
held in Turkey, but limited its participation in these forums,
Aghabekyan said, who before getting elected into the parliament was
the Armenian deputy defence minister. He said that the head of the
general headquarters of armed forces of Armenia attended one of these
events in Turkey several years ago.

Aghabekyan said that in the process of Armenia’s joining the process of
planning and analysis of the Partnership for Peace (PARP) programme and
approval of the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP), Armenia had
to edit the provisions regarding Turkey and Nagornyy Karabakh problem,
taking into consideration Turkey’s veto right.

Aghabekyan said that the Turkish colonel was co-commander of NATO
Cooperative Best Effort manoeuvres, which took place in Armenia in
summer of 2003.