ROBERT SIMMONS: "NATO IS CONCERNED OVER THE SITUATION IN ARMENIA"

Today
tics/43558.html
March 5 2008
Azerbaijan

"NATO is concerned over the internal situation in Armenia".

The due announcement was made by Robert Simmons, special representative
of NATO secretary general on the South Caucasus and Middle Asia,
at a press conference in Moscow.

"Armenia is NATO’s partner country. It executes the Individual Plan
of Partnership with the alliance. We are highly appreciating the
progress, it achieved on the way of reforms and improvement of the
institutes of democratic society. On the other side, the recent events,
in particular, unrest and violence actions in Yerevan, arise concern
and we will raise these issues in our joint discussions", Simmons said.

He noted speaking about prospects of Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict
resolution that NATO is not involved directly in the said problem
resolution.

"On the other hand, we are observing the Minsk process attentively.

We see that there is a certain progress in the resolution issue,
however, as we see the acts of violence are still observed in the
region. We hope that the sides will come to the solution of the said
conflict", the NATO representative said.

Commenting on Azerbaijan parliament’s decision to withdraw national
contingent from Kosovo, Simmons noted that the said resolution is
Azerbaijan’s right.

"However, it is possible to say that Azerbaijan’s contribution to
the peacekeeping operation in Kosovo was not too great, but we hope
for Azerbaijan’s cooperation in other issues, including in Afghan
problem", Robert Simmons announced.