RA MINISTER OF DEFENSE RECEIVES DELEGATION OF NATO

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. On February 7 Mikael Haroutiunian,
the RA Minister of Defense, received the delegation of NATO’s
Individual Partnership Action Plan and the estimation group of the
Planning and Review Process, headed by Yaroslav Skoniechka, the Head of
the European-Atlantic Integration and Cooperation directorate of NATO’s
International Headquarters, and Frank Boland, the Director of the Force
Planning Defense Policy of NATO’s International Headquarters. According
to the information provided to Noyan Tapan by the RA Ministry of
Defense, during the meeting the parties exchanged ideas concerning a
number of issues with regard to the regional security and stability,
and pointed out the tasks of the near future.

Mikael Haroutiunian mentioned that NATO’s role in the region is
considerable and the development of a multi-side cooperation with the
latter is of primary significance for Armenia. The Minister declared
that Armenia highly appreciates the efforts of the organization in the
development of the Armenia-NATO cooperation, a proof of which is the
application of the goals of the RA-NATO Individual Partnership Action
Plan and NATO’s Planning and Review Process cooperation in the
implementation of the RA defensive reforms.

According to Mikael Haroutiunian, the first two-year stage of the
implementation of the Individual Partnership Action Plan can be
considered finished, the results of which will be discussed in April by
26+1 format during the sitting of the North-Atlantic Treaty
Organization. He mentioned that a new process, that is to say, the
strategic review of defense, will already start this year. Mikael
Haroutiunian made assertions that the Armenian side is firm with regard
to the decision on the development of the cooperation with NATO in the
implementation of defensive reforms. He expressed hope that the
cooperation will become still more expanded during the coming two years
by comprising new spheres.