OSKANIAN: ARMENIA'S NATO COMMITMENT

UNCLAS YEREVAN 000584 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT. FOR EUR/CACEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV AM NATO SUBJECT: OSKANIAN: ARMENIA'S NATO COMMITMENT "IRREVERSIBLE" Sensitive but Unclassified. Please protect accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) In a March 31 speech to NATO's Atlantic Policy Advisory Group meeting in Yerevan, Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said that Armenia's "commitment to NATO is...irreversible and desirable." Oskanian stated that security is Armenia's number one priority and argued that cooperation with NATO complements current security arrangements. ¶2. (SBU) Oskanian stated that the first draft of Armenia's Individual Partnership Plan Presentation Document is on his desk and should be ready for submission to NATO in mid-April. The NATO desk chief told us, however, that mid-May is more likely as the draft still lacks the final approval of the Minister of Defense and the President. Oskanian praised the document as a product of considerable interagency effort. EVANS