NATO wants to increase its presence in South Caucasus,
NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative James
Appathurai said in Yerevan.
Asked about the recent statement by the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry
saying they are ready to attack an Armenian facility which will
threaten Armenia’s existence, Appathurai said he had not seen the
comment and cannot comment on specific issues.
“The Secretary General visited three countries recently. He left concerned
at the tone between the two countries,” he added.
“It is very important for the two countries to get back on the right track
when it comes to security. The two foreign ministers recently met in Paris , which is a
good sign, but a meeting is not progress, it is a step towards
progress. From the NATO point of view we should see an improvement in
relations.”
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern was not aware of the threat either.
“The U.S. is one of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. At every
opportunity we are pushing to tone down the rhetoric and come back to
the table. We are pleased that ministers met and we continue to push
for a peaceful resolution of the Karabakh conflict and improvement of
relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” Heffern said.
