NATO SEC. GEN. HOPES CRIMINAL INCIDENT IN BUDAPEST WILL NOT TELL ON ARMENIA-ALLIANCE COOPERATION ADVANCEMENT

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has sent a reply letter to Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian on the barbaric murder of an Armenian officer in Budapest. As reported by the press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry, in his letter the NATO Secretary General expressed his profound shock at the brutal murder of Lieutenant of the Armenian Armed Forces Gurgen Margarian and conveyed his grief and sympathy to the family of the victim. “As you know, the appropriate Hungarian authorities are conducting a thorough investigation and I am confident that they will spare no effort to explain all the circumstances of this murder and to make sure that justice prevails. I will closely follow the results of this investigation and the due legal process,” the Secretary General assured. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer emphasized that the Alliance appreciates greatly Armenia’s contribution to the NATO Partnership for Peace Program. Helping build confidence and encouraging regional cooperation in the Caucasus remains an essential part of NATO’s policy of Partnership and Cooperation, noted the head of the North Atlantic Alliance.