US TO PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO STRENGTHENING OF RELATIONS WITH SOUTH CAUCASIAN COUNTRIES AT NATO ISTANBUL SUMMIT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The US intends to pay special attention to the strengthening of the relations with the countries of the South Caucasus and Central Asia at the NATO coming Summit in Istanbul, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Robert Bradtke stated when addressing the International Relations Committee of the House, Mediamax news agency reported. "The countries of the South Caucasus and Central Asia, who are at the front line, have made a significant contribution to the fight against terror. We hope that in Istanbul the NATO will make a decision to intensify efforts to involve these countries by means of the Partnership for Peace Program," the American diplomat said. R. Bradtke noted that the US comes for the opening of NATO consultative missions in the Central Asia and Caucasus, "which will work with local governments on questions of cooperation in the field of defense reforms and security." The Deputy Assistant Secretary of State cited the instance of Georgia, which "has made impressive progress in reforming the defense sphere" since last December, when the "rose revolution" took place. In his words, the presence of a NATO mission in Georgia will let that country take further steps to reform its armed forces.