VAZGEN MANUKIAN BELIEVES THAT ARMENIA’S MEMBERSHIP IN NATO WILL NOT LEAD TO STRENGTHENING OF THE REPUBLIC’S SECURITY
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Mediamax
February 12, 2008
Yerevan /Mediamax/. Presidential candidate, Leader of
National-Democratic Union (NDU) Vazgen Manukian stated today that
Armenia’s membership in NATO will not lead to strengthening of the
republic’s security.
Mediamax reports that Vazgen Manukian said this today during the
meeting with the journalists in the Information Center on NATO in
Yerevan. The Information Center on NATO sent out invitations to all
the 9 presidential candidates with a proposal to publicly present
their approaches to the issues of Armenia’s security provision.
According to Manukian, considering the prospects of Armenia’s
membership in NATO, one "should take into account all the pluses
and minuses".
Among the "minuses" the presidential candidate noted the aggravation
of Armenia’s relations with Iran and Russia, which will be the result
of the entry to NATO. At the same time, the NDU Leader stated, it is
not ruled out that in 10 years the situation in the world will change
to such extent that the issue of Armenia’s membership in NATO will
have a completely different form".
Talking about the relations of Armenia with Russia, Vazgen Manukian
stated, that he is for their development. "However, I am absolutely
against relations, in which Armenia will be a toy in the hands of
Russia, or its "advanced post"", presidential candidate stated.