SITTING OF PfP POLITICAL MILITARY STEERING COMMITTE WITH PARTICIPATION OF ARMENIA HELD AT NATO HEADQUARTERS

Noyan Tapan
March 11, 2008

BRUSSEKS, MARCH 11, NOYAN TAPAN. A sitting of the Political Military
Steering Committee of the Partnership for Peace (PfP) Program with
the participation of Armenia took place at the NATO Headquarters on
March 10.

Armenia’s Partnership Goals for 2008, which were developed under the
Planning and Review Process (PARP), were discussed at the sitting.

The Armenian delegation was composed of the deputy defence minister A.

Nazarian, the head of Armenia’s mission in NATO S. Mkrtchian, the
head of the defence ministry’s international military cooperation and
defence programs department D. Tonoyan, the military representative
of Armenia to NATO M. Israelian and some others. The director of the
NATO’s Defense Policy and Planning Department Frank Boland presided
over the sitting.

Prior to the sitting, the Armenian delegation met with the Special
Representataive of the NATO Secretary General to the South Caucasus
Robert Simmons. During the meeting, the sides spoke about the internal
political developments in Armenia in recent days and the reforms in
the defence sector.

R. Simmons was provided information about the legal and other grounds
for the steps taken by the Armenian authorities. At the same time, the
Armenian side stated that the process of defence reforms will continue.

R. Simmons expressed a hope that the situation will be normalized
in the shortest possible time. He expressed a willingness to promote
and expand the relations between the NATO and Armenia.