Armenia and NATO close to agreeing on new partnership programme -  NATO Sec Gen

ArmInfo. in an interview with the Public TV of Armenia, NATO Secretary General Jen Stoltenberg said  that the message of his visit to Armenia is that the region is important for peace and stability in Europe, 

In this vein, he recalled that NATO has several partner countries  where he visited - Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia. At the same time,  he emphasized that he is aware of the existing problems between these  countries. According to Stoltenberg, this is why it is necessary to  sit down at the negotiating table and engage in dialogue in order to  understand how to ensure the normalization of relations and long-term  peace between countries in the region.

When asked how NATO can assist Armenia in diversifying its foreign  policy relations, Stoltenberg said that the North Atlantic Alliance  supports Armenia's desire to protect its own sovereignty and  territorial integrity, as well as to develop an independent foreign  policy.

Every country has the right to choose its own path, and Armenia is no  exception. NATO will never force any country to act against its own  will and is ready to deepen partnership, Stoltenberg noted, recalling  that NATO has already been cooperating with Armenia 30 years.

He added that his Yerevan visit is aimed at finding out how NATO and  Armenia can strengthen the existing partnership. And how NATO can  help Armenia improve its defense and security structures,  cybersecurity, etc. Mr Stoltenberg said his meeting with Prime  Minister Pashinyan was very useful, since he is one of the powerful  voices of democracy, stability and peace, said the NATO Secretary  General.

To clarify how realistic peace between Yerevan and Baku is against  the backdrop of the militaristic rhetoric of the Azerbaijani  authorities, Stoltenberg said that he is deeply convinced that  achieving peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is possible and  realistic, since during the current negotiations an agreement was  reached on some key principles, for example, respect each other's  territorial integrity.

Nevertheless, he stressed that NATO is not a mediator, that is, it  cannot make proposals, but NATO supports these principles and  believes that existing differences can be resolved. Norway is an  example. It is part of the Scandinavian region, where the Norwegians,  Swedes and Danes fought for centuries, but now live in peace. Of  course, there are some border issues that will never be fully agreed  upon, but that is all in the past, they all respect each other as  independent and sovereign states. There are similar examples in the  history of other European countries. The NATO Secretary General's  message to Armenia is the same as to Azerbaijan - both sides must see  opportunities to overcome existing differences and achieve long-term  peace, he said. 

When asked what prospects he sees in Armenia-NATO relations, the  Secretary General noted that there is huge potential for joint  interaction. The sides are now close to agreeing on a new  Armenia-NATO partnership program. It will create the basis for  understanding how we can expand our partnership, how NATO can help  Armenia in matters of defense and security. Of course, NATO is ready  to do as much as we ourselves are ready Armenia. Mr ," Stoltenberg  repeated that NATO does not force anyone to act against their will  and is ready to work with Armenia, as an important partner for NATO.

Speaking about the Armenian-Turkish normalization, the NATO Secretary  General said that one of the reasons why the Alliance is promoting  the normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations is that they  believe that this will help normalize the Armenia-Turkey relations.

In recent months, some important progress has been noted, and there  is a need to continue at the same pace.  There are some positive  signals on the issue of third-country citizens who will be able to  cross the Armenian-Turkish border. NATO contributes to these efforts  and wants to see settled relations between Armenia and Turkey. Turkey  is a NATO ally, and Armenia is an important partner, and everything  that helps stabilize these relations will be mutually beneficial,  stressed the NATO Secretary General.

Speaking about peace in the South Caucasus, Stoltenberg once again  emphasized that NATO cannot act as a mediator in resolving the  situation in this region. At the same time, he recalled that,  nevertheless, a number of NATO partners - France, Germany and the  United States - are contributing to ongoing efforts to facilitate the  negotiation process. He is sure that the end to the conflict is  closer than ever, but this requires will and mutual concessions to  resolve remaining issues.