During a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Yerevan on March 19, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed hope for the swift approval of an individually adapted partnership program with NATO.
Pashinyan expressed Armenia's interest in continuing the development of political dialogue and expanding partnership with NATO and individual member states. "We hope that soon a partnership program individually adapted to the new format of Armenia-NATO cooperation will be approved," said Pashinyan.
The Armenian Prime Minister also emphasized the importance of strengthening the country's defense capabilities in light of regional events.
He highly appreciated Armenia's participation in peacekeeping operations and acknowledged Armenia's significant contribution to international peace and security, especially its participation in the Kosovo mission, where during a period of instability in July 2023, Armenia increased its peacekeeping contingent by 17 individuals.
In turn, the NATO Secretary General expressed support for Armenia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, emphasizing the importance of strengthening partnership with Yerevan.
"I hope that we will continue to strengthen our partnership, working together for peace, stability, and prosperity in the South Caucasus," he said.
According to Stoltenberg, after many years of conflict, Armenia and Azerbaijan now have the opportunity to achieve lasting peace.
"We discussed the importance of establishing stability in the South Caucasus, which is important for Euro-Atlantic security. Today, Armenia and Azerbaijan have a chance to achieve lasting peace after many years of conflict. That is why I call on the two countries to reach an agreement that will pave the way for normalization of relations," said the NATO Secretary General.
Relations between Armenia and NATO were established in 1992 with Armenia's accession to the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (renamed the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council in 1997). After Armenia joined the Partnership for Peace program in 1994, cooperation was deepened and expanded.
Currently, Armenia and NATO are negotiating the adoption of a new cooperation document - the Individual Partnership Action Plan for Armenia-NATO.
