ArmInfo. Armenia and NATO have developed stable and strong relations, without undue complications, which can only be pleasing. The special representative of the NATO Secretary General in the South Caucasus and Central Asia, James Appathurai, who arrived in Yerevan during the week of NATO, stated this on March 11 at a press conference in Yerevan.
According to him, today's meetings at the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia convinced him that Armenia would continue the stable course of cooperation in foreign policy and defense. "I, in turn, reaffirmed the commitment of the North Atlantic Alliance to continue cooperation in the same way. I expressed gratitude to the Armenian side for its significant contribution to international stability and security through participation in peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo. Especially in Afghanistan, we are pleased to have an Armenian presence," he stressed.
The NATO Special Representative also noted that the alliance informed about the participation of the Armenian side in other peacekeeping operations, including within the UN, while expressing the conviction that the experience gained by the Armenian military in NATO peacekeeping missions is useful to Armenia, and is being used with the participation in other similar events. At the same time, Appaturai informed that the agenda of his today's meetings in Yerevan includes one of the priority issues for the government of Armenia, namely the fight against corruption. "And the first message that I heard from the government from the mouth of Defense Minister David Tonoyan, is the commitment to continue fighting corruption, and we are ready to assist the Armenian side in this matter. It's no secret that in all countries in the defense sphere huge funds and risks of corruption are great. We have expressed a commitment to deepening cooperation in this direction, "said the NATO Special Representative.
Another area of cooperation is the theme of <women for peace and stability>, and the program will continue as the initiation of such projects involving women improves the situation not only in this area, but throughout the country as a whole. According to the special representative of the alliance, the interaction will continue in the framework of the project on the disposal of old military equipment. In conclusion, he expressed satisfaction with the content of the events prepared during the NATO week in Armenia. Appathurai also agreed that in Armenia about NATO activities are informed only in narrow expert circles, he expressed the hope that such activities like <NATO week> in the future are changing the overall picture.