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ARMENIA DEVELOPS RELATIONS WITH NATO, WON'T BECOME MEMBER
ITAR-TASS, Russia
July 16 2007
YEREVAN, July 16 (Itar-Tass) -- Armenia will develop relations with
the North Atlantic Alliance but will not become its member, President
Robert Kocharian said in an interview with the German magazine Der
Spiegel published in Yerevan on Sunday.
The entry into NATO would not enlarge Armenia's security, but it
would spoil the Armenian relations with neighbors, the president said.
"The accession to any military bloc cannot be a goal in itself or a
fashion," Kocharian said. "Meanwhile, the accession to the Collective
Security Treaty (CST), whose member Russia is, will meet our security
interests."
"It is important for Armenia to develop relations with NATO, but
membership in that alliance will not enhance our security. It will make
our position ambiguous," he said. "We live in an complicated region. We
have constructive relations with Iran and close contacts with Russia."
As for the affiliation to the European Union, the Armenian leader said,
"We are realistic and do not set the goal of entry into the EU for
the near future. Plenty of states have voiced their wish to enter
into the European Union."
He said, however, he "will do his best for bringing cooperation with
the EU to a higher level."
Armenia objects to new international sanctions on Iran and thinks that
the Iranian nuclear problem should be resolved with political methods,
Kocharian said.
"Tighter sanctions will escalate tensions. It is hard to predict
where such negative dynamics may lead," he said.
"We are against sanctions that may be harmful for us and other states,"
he said. Punitive measures "will hardly pave the way to the solution
of the Iranian nuclear problem," he added.
"The Iranian administration is convinced that it acts in compliance
with international agreements," the chief of state said. "Iranian
officials said that their nuclear program does not have military goals,
while the West thinks the opposite."
"However, if the pressure on Iran escalates, the country feels that
it is not being treated fairly and the Iranian people think that the
West is applying double standards, Iranians will decide that they are
ready to make sacrifices for the benefit of the just cause," he said.
Armenia "has constructive relations with Iran and develops economic
cooperation," Kocharian said. "Relations with the other two neighbors,
Azerbaijan and Turkey, leave much to be desired, so we do not want
to spoil relations with the third neighbor, Iran."
Kocharian reaffirmed the Armenian position in the Karabakh conflict.
Karabakh residents have a right to independence and self-determination,
he said.
"An asymmetric confederation is the future of Armenia and Karabakh,"
he said.
"Karabakh residents have no less rights to independence than Kosovo
Albanians," the president said. The unrecognized Karabakh republic
"has developed into a full-scale state," he said.
He called for using peacekeepers in the Karabakh settlement. "It
should be an international peacekeeping force," Kocharian said.
The president admitted the permanent threat of war in the region but
said, "Yerevan has no intention to start a military operation."
"However, we will act in compliance with the military situation and
our security interests in case of an aggression," he said.
Azerbaijan strongly disagrees with the Armenian position. Azerbaijani
officials have said many times they will not allow the independence
of Karabakh, which is a part of Azerbaijan. Baku demands that Yerevan
must withdraw from the occupied lands. The settlement of the conflict,
which has been on for over 15 years, involves representatives of
Russia, the United States and France that make up the OSCE Minsk
Group. The consultations of intermediaries with the leaders of the
conflicting sides are held in parallel with the negotiations between
the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders. The Karabakh ceasefire agreement
has been in effect since 1994.
ITAR-TASS, Russia
July 16 2007
YEREVAN, July 16 (Itar-Tass) -- Armenia will develop relations with
the North Atlantic Alliance but will not become its member, President
Robert Kocharian said in an interview with the German magazine Der
Spiegel published in Yerevan on Sunday.
The entry into NATO would not enlarge Armenia's security, but it
would spoil the Armenian relations with neighbors, the president said.
"The accession to any military bloc cannot be a goal in itself or a
fashion," Kocharian said. "Meanwhile, the accession to the Collective
Security Treaty (CST), whose member Russia is, will meet our security
interests."
"It is important for Armenia to develop relations with NATO, but
membership in that alliance will not enhance our security. It will make
our position ambiguous," he said. "We live in an complicated region. We
have constructive relations with Iran and close contacts with Russia."
As for the affiliation to the European Union, the Armenian leader said,
"We are realistic and do not set the goal of entry into the EU for
the near future. Plenty of states have voiced their wish to enter
into the European Union."
He said, however, he "will do his best for bringing cooperation with
the EU to a higher level."
Armenia objects to new international sanctions on Iran and thinks that
the Iranian nuclear problem should be resolved with political methods,
Kocharian said.
"Tighter sanctions will escalate tensions. It is hard to predict
where such negative dynamics may lead," he said.
"We are against sanctions that may be harmful for us and other states,"
he said. Punitive measures "will hardly pave the way to the solution
of the Iranian nuclear problem," he added.
"The Iranian administration is convinced that it acts in compliance
with international agreements," the chief of state said. "Iranian
officials said that their nuclear program does not have military goals,
while the West thinks the opposite."
"However, if the pressure on Iran escalates, the country feels that
it is not being treated fairly and the Iranian people think that the
West is applying double standards, Iranians will decide that they are
ready to make sacrifices for the benefit of the just cause," he said.
Armenia "has constructive relations with Iran and develops economic
cooperation," Kocharian said. "Relations with the other two neighbors,
Azerbaijan and Turkey, leave much to be desired, so we do not want
to spoil relations with the third neighbor, Iran."
Kocharian reaffirmed the Armenian position in the Karabakh conflict.
Karabakh residents have a right to independence and self-determination,
he said.
"An asymmetric confederation is the future of Armenia and Karabakh,"
he said.
"Karabakh residents have no less rights to independence than Kosovo
Albanians," the president said. The unrecognized Karabakh republic
"has developed into a full-scale state," he said.
He called for using peacekeepers in the Karabakh settlement. "It
should be an international peacekeeping force," Kocharian said.
The president admitted the permanent threat of war in the region but
said, "Yerevan has no intention to start a military operation."
"However, we will act in compliance with the military situation and
our security interests in case of an aggression," he said.
Azerbaijan strongly disagrees with the Armenian position. Azerbaijani
officials have said many times they will not allow the independence
of Karabakh, which is a part of Azerbaijan. Baku demands that Yerevan
must withdraw from the occupied lands. The settlement of the conflict,
which has been on for over 15 years, involves representatives of
Russia, the United States and France that make up the OSCE Minsk
Group. The consultations of intermediaries with the leaders of the
conflicting sides are held in parallel with the negotiations between
the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders. The Karabakh ceasefire agreement
has been in effect since 1994.
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