On December 18, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian received Rose Gottemoeller, NATO Deputy Secretary General.

While greeting the guest, Minister Nalbandian noted, that since the establishment of relations between Armenia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization 25 years ago, the bilateral collaboration has developed and was enriched with new content.

Thanking for the reception, NATO Deputy Secretary General emphasized, that throughout the quarter century of relations Armenia and NATO has formed partnership relations, noting that the bilateral cooperation proceeds from bilateral interest.

During the meeting, the importance of continuity of high-level political dialogue and regular contacts was highlighted. The interlocutors were pleased to note that Armenia-NATO 5th Individual Partnership Action Plan is being successfully implemented, emphasizing the importance of the practical implementation of the activities of the NATO Trust Fund in Armenia.

An importance was attached to the continuous contribution of Armenia to the collective efforts towards the establishment of international peace and stability undertaken by the UN and under UN auspices. NATO Deputy Secretary General thanked for the valuable contribution of Armenia to peacekeeping operations.

In this context Foreign Minister of Armenia noted, that Armenia, which itself has serious security challenges, contributes to the preservation and strengthening of security and stability in other parts of the world, transforming itself from a security consumer into a security provider.

Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller thanked for holding on December 13-18 regular NATO week in Armenia, as well as for organising in Yerevan a workshop on Women, Peace and Security, in the framework of the UN Security Council resolution.

At the meeting, a number of urgent regional and international issues was touched upon.

Foreign Minister briefed the Deputy Secretary General of NATO on the recent developments around the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the joint efforts of Armenia and the Minsk Group Co-Chair countries aimed at exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict.

After the meeting, Edward Nalbandian and Rose Gottemoeller made statements for the press.