Armenia this week
Armenian foreign minister calls for greater U.S. role in Turkey dispute
Armenia urged the U.S. to be “more assertive” in its calls on Turkey to lift the 12-year blockade of Armenia, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan said at a press-conference following his meetings with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the President’s National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley. Oskanyan said the talks with the U.S. officials focused on growing bilateral cooperation in security matters, including Armenia’s deployments in Iraq and Kosovo, as well as plans for the Millennium Challenge assistance to Armenia.
Oskanyan reaffirmed the Armenian government’s readiness to establish diplomatic relations with Turkey without preconditions. Oskanyan also dismissed the notion that Turkey’s ongoing blockade may force Armenia to end its support for the international affirmation of the Armenian Genocide or lead to unilateral concessions in the Karabakh conflict by stifling Armenia’s economy. Oskanyan noted Armenia’s strong economic growth of recent years and added that Armenia will continue to successfully develop with or without the Turkish border opening. “We are not desperate” to have the border open, Oskanyan said, but such an opening would benefit both Armenia and Turkey. He also objected to the Azerbaijani-initiated proposal to build a new railroad between Georgia and Turkey, estimated to cost some $600 million, while there was an existing rail link between Turkey and Armenia.
In meetings with Rice and Hadley, Oskanyan also raised Armenia’s domestic political issues, including the governing coalition’s plan to reform the country’s Constitution, in line with Armenia’s Council of Europe obligations. The U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans reiterated America’s commitment to work with the Armenian government, political parties and civic groups to advance Armenia’s democracy before national elections set for 2007 and 2008.
Armenia submits action plan on partnership with NATO
Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan officially submitted Armenia’s Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) leadership in Brussels last week. Meeting with the NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Sargsian discussed Armenia’s expanding relations with the Alliance. Armenia’s Ambassador to NATO Samvel Mkrtchian described the IPAP submission as “a serious step that raises relations with NATO to a new level”. An analysis by the Armenian Mediamax news agency described the development as a “real breakthrough” in Armenia-NATO partnership, as part of which Armenia commits itself to further security and democratic reform.
NATO began offering IPAP to the Partnership for Peace (PfP) allies following its 2002 summit. The plan is essentially a two-year schedule of cooperation that aims to increase interoperability between NATO and PfP partners. Last year, Armenia ratified the Status of Forces Agreement (SoFA) with NATO that provides a legal framework for joint exercises and deployments under NATO command, such as that of Armenia’s peacekeepers in Kosovo.
Last April, the Armenian Defense Ministry announced plans to develop a proposal for long-term reform of the Armenian military with NATO help. The plan will be ready for consideration by Armenia’s next Parliament, due to be elected in 2007. According to Mediamax, the new Armenian President to be elected in 2008 will be positioned to decide whether to seek membership in NATO.
Armenian Assembly of America
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