Tuesday, March 12 2019 12:32

ArmInfo. The geopolitical situation in Armenia is complex, and the South Caucasus is a strategic region for NATO, Special Representative of the NATO  Secretary General in the South Caucasus and Central Asia James  Appathurai, said this on March 12 at the conference "Partnerships of  NATO, the view of France" in Yerevan at the French University of  Armenia.  The representative of NATO congratulated Armenia on the  chairmanship in the International Organization of La Francophonie and  the peace processes in the republic.

At the same time, he stated that everything that is being done  between NATO and Armenia in the framework of an open dialogue is  often little known or not at all known in wide public circles. He  expressed the hope that this event, organized with the assistance of  the French Embassy in Armenia, would slightly open the curtain and  shed light on the activities of the alliance.

"NATO respects Armeni `s choice of its allies both political and  economic ones. We see no problems in the Armenia-NATO cooperation and  its membership in the Eurasian Economic Union. This issue was  discussed yesterday with the President and the Prime Minister. We are  developing to counter the emerging challenges,"  he noted.

At the same time, Appathurai stated that there was a serious  partnership has been developed between the Alliance and Armenia,  covering many areas and relying on two pillars - political and  practical. According to him, if there is a political dialogue, then  it must constantly deepen and develop.  As for the practical  interaction, the NATO Special Representative stated that the  representatives of Armenia annually participate in more than 50  training events, serious work is being done in the areas of  anti-corruption and military education, where it is planned to carry  out serious reforms and bring them closer to European standards, in  the direction of increasing women's involvement in the Armed Forces.  In this regard, he stated that in the peacekeeping contingent of  Armenia in Kosovo out of 40 people there are 4 women, which is a good  start.

Answering the question regarding the interaction of Armenia and NATO  in the fight against terrorism, Appathurai stated that the North  Atlantic Alliance cannot alone fight this evil. "But NATO can assist  its partners in confronting terrorism. Armenia and NATO can work  together to identify possible ways of cooperation in this field, and  the first step has been made for this, namely, a political dialogue  has been established," the NATO Special Representative assured.

Speaking about the NATO assistance to civil society, Appathurai  stressed the importance of developing cooperation in this direction.  He considered it a good idea for the government to assist public  organizations in developing relations with NATO. Appathurai added  that the Government of Canada is ready to assist in this direction.