Mr. Chairman,

Thank you. I would like to congratulate Lord Robertson on his appointment as NATO Secretary General. I would also like to join the others in welcoming Ireland in Euro-Atlantic Partnership Community.

This partnership has truly played significant role in the past. It has, at the beginning of the 21^st century, the necessary potential to become a key element in European and even global security environment. Armenia is aware of this huge potential and, with this in mind, wishes to expand its involvement in the EAPC.

Armenia, in accordance with its individual partnership program, is determined to increase its participation in PfP activities for the year 2000, as well. So important is this participation for Armenia, that our bare-bones budget for fiscal year 2000 includes a special government allocation for our IPP related expenses.

This Ministerial Meeting is an opportune time to announce that Armenia is currently completing the formalities for a standby peacekeeping arrangement with the United Nations. In this way we intend to bring our modest input to the peacekeeping efforts of the international community.

Perhaps more than most other regions in the world, in the South Caucasus region we are keenly aware of the need for a lasting peace. We recognize that cooperation in the areas of energy, infrastructure development, science and the environment can lead to peace and stability. We welcome the cooperation in such areas through the EAPC Open-ended ad-hoc Working Group on the Caucasus. At the same time, however, we do not believe that this Working Group should become a substitute for other, already existing negotiating bodies and groups which function under the auspices of various international organizations.

Armenia will also continue to abide by its policy of complementarity - of conducting equal relations with all countries which have political or economic interest in the Caucasus.  This approach has worked quite effectively over the last couple of years, and we believe it has contributed to a reduction of polarization and tension in the region - tension which has been created by some of our neighbors  as a result of unbalanced and one-sided policies which did not take into consideration today's political realities.

Today, however, Caucasus security issues must be seen in the context of more comprehensive processes which will include all regional forces that in one way or another affect regional processes. Thus, we believe that the three Caucasus states, together with immediate neighbors, must engage in our regional security.

Mr. Chairman,

At the end of the 20th century, Kosovo has exposed the fragility of the post Cold-War security environment. What kind of lessons we have learned form Kosovo? I believe, many. One is that the right of preservation of territorial integrity is not a license for suppression, brutality and murder which we have experienced in Nagorno Karabagh in 1992. Two, we need to make a clear distinction between stability and forced maintenance of status quo. A true policy of stability is one that can put in place mechanisms that can effectively manage inevitable changes in the world.

Mr. Chairman,

As we look for new ways to balance the old principles which have governed the international relations in the post World War II period, we must distinguish between the central and the inherited, the essential and the convenient, the prudent and traditional. It is with these lessons and our commitment for peace and stability in the world that we look forward for our cooperation within this partnership in the coming millenium.

Thank you.