ARMENIA TO DEVELOP RELATIONS WITH NATO WITHIN IPAP

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.06.2008 14:54 GMT+04:00

Armenia intends to develop cooperation with NATO in the framework of
the Individual Partnership Action Plan, President Serzh Sargsyan said.

"I think it will be a good experience for our armed forces. But we
have numerously stated that joining NATO is not on Armenia’s foreign
policy agenda. Former President Kocharian and I, then-Defense Minister,
have commented on the issue," the President said.

Asked whether Georgia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan’s aspiration to NATO
may be described as anti-Russian move, Mr Sargsyan said, "I do not
remember any state explaining its joining NATO by a wish to secure
itself against Russia. But I speak from the viewpoint of the Armenian
statehood. If our country is a member of CSTO and if there are Russian
bases here, joining NATO would certainly be an anti-Russian step. But
we don’t have reasons to do so," Kommersant reports.