SERZH SARGSYAN: ARMENIA DOES NOT INTEND TO JOIN NATO

armradio.am
27.06.2008 16:03

RA President Serzh Sargsyan declared that Armenia does not intend to
join NATO and being a CSTO member is "profitable" for the country.

Serzh Sargsyan said in an interview with Russian "Kommersant" daily
that "Rubezh 2008" military exercises to be held in Armenia within
the framework of the Collative Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)
are more important for Yerevan than the conduct of the "NATO Week."

The "NATO Week" is an arrangement of familiarization character,
which is being conducted for the first time. NATO Information Centers
operate in both Yerevan and Moscow. And we intend to develop our
relations with the Alliance within the framework of the Individual
Partnership Action Plan. I think it will give necessary experience
to our Armed Forces. But we have always stated that state now that
the issue of joining NATO is not on Armenia’s foreign policy agenda,"
Serzh Sargsyan said.

In response to the question whether the aspiration of Georgia and
Ukraine to join NATO should be viewed as an expression of anti-Russian
policy, RA President said: "It depends on the way of comprehension. I
do not remember a case, when a state joining NATO would say it was
going there to insure itself against Russia. After becoming a member,
they justify their actions, saying they wanted to ensure security. But
I’m speaking from the point of view of Armenian statehood. "If we
are in the CSTO today, and if thee are Russian troops and a Russian
military base located on our territory, then joining NATO would be
viewed as an anti-Russian step, since the military bases of the one
would be replaced by those of the other.

Serious reasons are necessary for that."

Serzh Sargsyan noted that being a member of the CSTO is "profitable
for Armenia. "Today all our armaments are either Soviet or Russian. It
must be preserved, modernized and increased. The CSTO provides that
opportunity.

We have privileged conditions of military-technical cooperation,
and its profitable for us," RA President said.