Tbilisi, 12 February 1997 (RFE/RL) - NATO Secretary General Javier Solana is in Armenia, continuing his tour of several former Soviet Republics.
Our correspondent reports that Solana, who was greeted at Yerevan airport by Foreign Minister Alexandre Arzoumanian, responded to a reporter's question by saying he does not believe Armenia intends to seek NATO membership. While in Yerevan, Solana is to meet with President Levon Ter-Petrossian and other senior officials.
Earlier today, Solana addressed the Georgian Parliament and said NATO is not going to deploy nuclear weapons on the territory of future member states. He said that NATO's planned eastward expansion does not aim to ignore the role and position of Russia and Ukraine or to isolate them. Russia opposes NATO expansion. A meeting between Solana and Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov is scheduled in Brussels later this month.
After Yerevan, Solana flies tomorrow to Baku.