November 17, 2016

Armenia proved there is no reason to choose between Russia and NATO, Jamie Shea said

 

NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General Jamie Shea stated today in Yerevan that Armenia’s good relations with the Alliance “proved that the country’s close collaboration with NATO does not automatically make it anti-Russian”.

Jamie Shea arrived in Armenia to participate in the events within the “NATO Week” and met with journalists at Information Center on NATO in Yerevan.

He emphasized that NATO highly respects Armenia’s relations with Russia and its membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization and Eurasian Economic Union. “We never raise a question “either-or”, we always say “and-and”, which means it is possible to develop good relations with everyone,” Jamie Shea remarked.

Touching upon relations with Russia, Jamie Shea reminded that “not long before the illegal annexation of Crimea, Russia and NATO planned to start joint maritime operation in the Mediterranean within the frames of efforts in eliminating Syria’s chemical weapons.”

NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General emphasized that “taking legitimate steps in protection from Russia today, we think, nevertheless, that we can return to effective forms of cooperation, which existed before.” Jamie Shea reminded, in particular, that Russia and the Alliance cooperated in the Balkans; Russia supported NATO’s efforts in Afghanistan.

“Armenia, being in good relations with Russia and NATO, sets a great example of the fact, that Europe is not as divided, as it might seem, which gives us hope to think that we will be able to restore the faltering architecture of European security,” Jamie Shea resumed.