MEMORANDUM OF MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING ON CIVIL TRANSIT TRANSPORT SINGED BETWEEN ARMENIA AND NATO
Noyan Tapan
Dec 08 2006
BRUSSELS, DECEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. The process of implementation of
the Individual Partnership Actions Plan (IPAP) being the pivot of the
Armenia-NATO cooperation as well as the events envisaged within the
framework of the program were discussed at the December 7 meeting of
RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian and NATO Secretary General Jaap de
Hoop Scheffer. The sides expressed satisfaction with the results of the
first, intermediate estimation of the RA IPAP implementation process,
which were discussed at the June 26, 2006 Council sitting of the
North-Atlantic Alliance taken place in 26 (NATO members) + 1 (Armenia)
format. The Minister mentioned that similar estimations are valuable
for us from the viewpoint of defining standards and demands fixed by
the NATO for the IPAP implementation process. Minister Oskanian stated
that the IPAP Armenian commission which is responsible for the program
implementation, held 8 sittings this year during which numerous issues
concerning the program implementation were discussed. Some of them,
particularly, the IPAP deciphering issue, order of presenting programs
formed by departments for state financing, the issue of organization
of the process of founding a crisis planning emergency center found
their complete or partial solution. Mentioning the NATO commitment to
deepen the cooperation with Armenia, the Secretary General attached
importance to strengthening of democratic processes in Armenia,
especially mentioning the NATO proposal on holding reforms in the
defense sphere. He appreciated the contribution of Armenia in the NATO
peace-keeping actions. The sides attached importance to the role of
the NATO information center, opened in Yerevan, among the society from
the viewpoint of the Armenia-NATO cooperation, spreading information
about the Alliance activity. The Minister appreciated the contribution
of the International Parliamentary Group formed by the NATO in the
affair of working out the RA National Security Conception (NSC).
The Secretary General presented the results of the November 28-29 NATO
summit in Riga. The interlocutors also touched upon the Armenia-Turkey
present relations as well as the Nagorno Karabakh peaceful negotiation
process.
Immediately after the meeting, Minister Oskanian signed the
Armenia-NATO memorandum of mutual understanding "On Transit Transport
of Civil Vital Necessity to Facilitate Passing of Borders." Reference:
The memorandum of mutual understanding was worked out by the NATO/EAPC
Civil Emergency Planning Senior Committee.
Then it was approved by the SCEPC (Senior Civil Emergency Planning
Committee), at the May 11, 2006 plenary sitting. The Memorandum of
mutual understanding is a document aimed to improvement of speed-rate
and efficiency of the humanitarian aid at the time of terrorist attack
and natural or technical disasters.
The Memorandum of mutual understanding will create a common order for
organization of moving of civil vital transit transportation being
implemented in territories of participants when showing the demanded
assistance to respond chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear
incidents, tragic or other accidents as well as natural or technical
disasters. The participants of the Memorandum on mutual understanding
can reach, in the case of necessity, additional separate agreements
to define practical or technical details. The Memorandum of mutual
understanding is an important mean for improvement of international
responses to crises and emergency situations.