YEREVAN (Combined Sources)—Samvel Mkrtchyan, Armenia’s Ambassador to NATO, met with the newly appointed Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
The Armenian Foreign press service said that Mkrtchyan pointed out Armenia’s resolve further strengthen its partnership with NATO, adding that participation in Individual Partnership Action Plans (IPAPs) will assist in achieving this goal.
Mkrtchyan stressed that Armenia attached importance to its involvement in the NATO peacemaking efforts: Armenian servicemen will join the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan in the near future.
The NATO Secretary General positively assessed the cooperation with Armenia. He emphasized the importance of Armenia’s involvement in NATO operations, stressing that NATO will continue cooperation with South Caucasian states.
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey will be among participants of a joint exercise to be held by NATO in Kazakhstan in September, according to an announcement released by the Prime Ministry General Directorate for Emergency Management.
NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Center (EADRCC) is organizing a Consequence Management Field Exercise in cooperation with Kazakhstan, the host nation, which will be conducted on Sept. 5-11.
The exercise “ZHETYSU 2009” is in accordance with the Civil Emergency Planning Exercise Policy and the Exercise Program for 2009-2013. It is a contribution by Kazakhstan to the Partnership for Peace (PfP) program. It will be the ninth EADRCC field exercise and the first EADRCC exercise hosted by Kazakhstan.
“The Prime Ministry General Directorate for Emergency Management, which is the EADRCC’s contact point in our country, is also assuming coordination of all activities concerning the exercise. In addition to our country, the United States, Germany, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Armenian, Finland, Britain, Spain, Sweden, Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Ukraine will participate in the exercise,” the announcement said.