ARMENIAN AND GREEK DEFENSE MINISTERS CEMENT TIES.

The Defense Ministers of Armenia and Greece, Vazgen Sarkisian and Akis Tsohadzopoulos, conferred on July 15-16 in Yerevan on bilateral military cooperation. Sarkisian also came out in favor of trilateral Russian-Greek-Armenian military cooperation as an "auspicious and realistic" proposition. While stating that Armenian-Greek military cooperation is not directed against "third countries," the ministers aired their nations’ past and present grievances against Turkey and depicted that country as a danger to stability in the Balkans and the Caucasus. Tsohadzopoulos is also visiting Tbilisi and Baku on a regional tour. (Noyan-Tapan, Russian agencies, July 15-16) It was the second high-ranking Greek military delegation to visit Armenia this year. Last year, Sarkisian signed a military cooperation agreement with his Greek counterpart in Athens. Sarkisian is promoting a policy of military cooperation between Armenia and countries hostile to Turkey.

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