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In the NATO Parliamentary Assembly the Head of the RA NA delegation Koryun Nahapetyan and the members of the delegation Tevan Poghosyan and Elinar Vardanyan presented details from their work of the NATO PA spring session held in Vilnius from May 30 to June 1 at the press conference on June 9.

Koryun Nahapetyan has noted that on May 31, at the plenary sitting a number of reports have been presented, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO General Secretary has made a report. Mr Nahapetyan has mentioned that the key point of Mr Rasmussen’s speech were the situation in Ukraine and further developments, he has also touched upon the situation in Afghanistan and the NATO policy. Referring to the level of Armenia-NATO bilateral relations and further developments Anders Fogh Rasmussen has noted that there is a great potential of deepening those relations. The Head of the delegation expressed confidence that in the coming years Armenia-NATO bilateral relations will have a qualitative high level. Koryun Nahapetyan has informed that the task has been given for essentially increasing the defensive expenditures by the NATO ally states. He has mentioned that at the plenary sitting three declarations have been adopted: “On Transatlantic Relations,” “On NATO Enlargement” and “On Supporting Ukraine.”

Discussions have been held in 5 Committees of the Parliamentary Assembly, where the members of the Armenian delegation have actively participated with their interpellations and comments. They have expressed their concern in relation to Kessab events, noting that the Islamist extermist forces have penetrated there from the territory of Turkey, according to the news, the Turkish Government shows financial assistance to those forces. The members of the Armenian delegation have raised a question, what steps can the NATO undertake, in order not to have such interventions by its member country, and on this occasion there has been an objection from the Turkish delegation. The reports “Developments in the East of Europe–Lithuania's Perspective, ” “NATO Partnerships and the Open-Door Policy of the Alliance,” "NATO after 2014,” “The evolving Security Dynamics at NATO’s South ‑ Eastern border” and “Implications for transatlantic Co-operation” have been discussed. A separate discussion was held in the NATO with the participation of the Ambassadors of Italy, Belgium, Slovakia, where they touched upon the agenda of the NATO Wales Summit. During the discussions the Armenian side has also referred to the theme of Afghanistan.

Koryun Nahapetyan has informed that at the sitting José Lelo, Chairman of the NATO Political Committee, has expressed his satisfaction in connection with his visit to Yerevan on March 26-27. Mr Nahapetyan highlighted the bilateral meetings with Hugh Bayley, NATO PA President, and David Hobbs, General Secretary of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, where among a series of issues the issue of participation of the Armenian delegates in the Rose-Roth seminar to be held. In the case of security guarantees the Armenian side has expressed its readiness to take part there. The delegation has proposed an official recommendation on holding the Rose-Roth seminar in Yerevan in 2015 to the NATO PA. Mr Nahapetyan also has informed that they offered the PA leadership to involve also the RA NA deputies in the peacekeeping missions implemented by them in Kosovo and Afghanistan.

The Committee members Tevan Poghosyan and Elinar Vardanyan presented details on the works of the Committees on Science and Technology, Economics and Security, Civil Dimension of Security, Defence and Security. They noted that the participants focused on the situation in Ukraine and the further developments.

The members of the delegation also answered the journalists’ questions.