Armenian defense minister unafraid for Armenian army officers in Azerbaijan

Armenia is preparing its own program for cooperation with NATO and cooperation will start within the scope of this program as soon as this year. This is what Serzhik Sarkisyan, Defense Minister of the Republic of Armenia, has told the press. With regard to the concluding conference of NATO's military exercise Cooperative Best Effort 2004 in Baku, Azerbaijan, in particular the attempt to disrupt that conference on the part of the Nagorno-Karabakh Liberation Organization, he said the following: "Not to sin against the truth, I must say Azerbaijan's authorities have taken all pertinent measures after that incident." The defense minister expressed confidence that the security of Armenian army officers in the NATO's forthcoming military exercise in Azerbaijan would be ensured: "Their security will be 100% guaranteed. Guarantees that the Armenian officers will feel in Baku like in any other country during a military exercise have been given by both Azerbaijan's authorities and the NATO leadership." Serzhik Sarkisyan said no changes had occurred in Armenian's position and gave assurances the seven Armenian army officers would necessarily take part in the forthcoming military exercise in September.