Armenia isn’t that much pleased with NATO (video)
NATO doesn’t invest enough measures for implementation of Individual Partnership Action Plan with Armenia. Armenian officials expressed their concern to NATO representatives at “Challenges ahead: NATO from Wales to Warsaw and beyond” discussion. In reply to it, William Lahue, Head of NATO Office in the South Caucasus, notes: “Armenia has been an important partner for NATO since 90s. When a partner state of the alliance clearly decides its expectations, our further work can be organized easier. The alliance assists Armenia in elimination of corruption risks in the defense sphere, we also work within frames of good conduct in army project. We also expect that Armenia will take part in NATO-Georgia command exercises.” Armenia-NATO military-technical partnership is still far from being on sufficient level, says Vladimir Karapetyan, Chairman of the ANC's Foreign Relations Committee. Irrespective of that, in the final communiqué adopted at NATO Warsaw Summit there was a satisfactory formulation for Armenia. “This time though there is a desire in the formulation on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict resolution to resolve the issue within the frames of territorial integrity, international norms are also highlighted, the resolution based on the OSCE and UNO norms,” notes Mr Karapetyan. NATO officials present at the discussion consider Warsaw Summit of the alliance to be historical. Not considering Russia to be a rival, NATO announced active steps to strengthen the eastern borders. Ambassador of Poland to Armenia Jerzy Marek Nowakowski notes, “NATO shifts from the political role, which it has in the world, to a defense role. In Warsaw we decided to increase the finances provided to defense of the member states. We strengthen our presence in Georgia and Baltic states, too. No power can put a veto on our desire to extend.” In case of Georgia, NATO membership has no alternative. Georgia’s former Foreign Minister attending the discussion claims that the public moods leave no other way out to the Georgian authorities. “The polls conducted in Georgia show that the majority of the population supports NATO membership. There are rumors that Georgia won’t become NATO member, as Russia doesn’t want it. But the recent fact of sending membership invitation to Montenegro gives us hope to membership,” says Maia Panjikidze.
