On September 25 Mr. Avet Adonts, Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on European Integration, received the delegation headed by the Ambassador Mr. Robert Simmons, NATO General Secretary's Special Representative for the South Caucasus.

Welcoming Mr. Simmons’ visit the Committee Chairman Mr. Avet Adonts, touched upon the activity of the newly formed committee, noting that the establishment of the committee testifies that integration to Europe is Armenia’s foreign political priority, and it became of inner political priority. In his opinion, in order to make the process more effective it’s expedient to create a structure in the executive body, which will coordinate the whole process of European integration with the committee. In order to make the works of the committee Mr. Adonts expects the expertise support from the European Union. Touching upon Armenia-NATO relations, Mr. Avet Adonts highlighted the necessity of the development and deepening of partnership, noting that the bilateral relations are of practical and concrete character.

Mr. Robert Simmons welcomed the establishment of the Committee on European Integration in the National Assembly, and noted that the goal of his short-term visit is to represent the Armenian authorities Mr. Zbigniew Ribacki, the newly appointed NATO communication officer in the South Caucasus. NATO General Secretary's Special Representative for the South Caucasus highlighted the deepening of Armenia-NATO partnership, noting that one of the important issues of the Individual Partnership Action Plan is the involvement of the representatives of the National Assembly in the process of general reforms, in particular, the reforms of the military sphere, the activation of the dialogue was highlighted, too. Mr. Simmons emphasized the issue of the involvement of the civil persons in the defense sphere, the transparency of the financial-budgetary sphere. He touched upon the issue of the participation of the Armenian subdivisions in the international peacekeeping forces. In this context the parties talked about the issue of the participation of the Armenian peacekeeping forces in Kosovo. NATO General Secretary's Special Representative highly assessed the successes of our country in the sphere of crises management, noting that NATO supports the establishment of the situational new center, which will coordinate and unite the relevant structures.

Other issues of bilateral interest were discussed at the meeting too.