US STATE DEPARTMENT DISAPPOINTED THAT ARMENIAN DELEGATION WAS ABSENT AT NATO CONFERENCE IN BAKU

The U.S. State Department said it was disappointed that an official delegation from the Armenian Ministry of Defense was unable to attend the initial planning conference for the Partnership for Peace (PfP) Cooperative Best Effort-2004, the Armenian Assembly of America (AAA) reported. It should be reminded that the Azeri authorities impeded arrival of Armenian military in Baku last week. Faced with Azerbaijan’s negative stance, the Armenian Assembly of America launched a major grassroots campaign, enlisting the help of its large constituency to alert friends in the U.S. House and Senate. If Azerbaijan does not live up to its commitments and refuses to fulfill its responsibilities as the host country to the September military exercises, then NATO should consider moving the exercises to another host country willing to abide by the premise of PfP, the Armenian Assembly of America said.