UN General Assembly
1998

We attach special significance to regional cooperation, be it in the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation organization or the TRASECA project. Armenia is sincerely open to such cooperation, although we have to state with regret that the blockade imposed on Armenia by Turkey and Azerbaijan is a serious obstacle to such cooperation. It is obvious that the region?s vast potential cannot be fully exploited if attempts are made to isolate one of its constituents. Such attempts are doomed to failure. Another factor of concern for political-military stability in the region is the gross violation by Azerbaijan of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. In three categories of ground equipment identified in the Treaty, our neighbour significantly surpasses the national limits set by the Treaty. Despite the potential threat to our security, since the earliest days of our independence we have clearly and unambiguously forsworn the development of weapons of mass destruction and adhere to the principles of non- proliferation of such weapons and of control over the