Azerbaijan, NATO cooperation prospects discussed in Brussels

Azerbaijan was represented at the talks by a delegation headed by Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov. The delegation included Deputy National Security Minister and Deputy Emergency Situations Minister, Chief of State Border Service, heads of departments of the Interior Ministry and Defense Ministry, according to Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

During the visit, Mammadyarov met with the NATO Deputy Secretary General Claudio Bisogniero, and attended NATO meeting in 28 +1 format.

Mammadyarov in his speech touched on NATO's new strategic concept, issues of partnership between Azerbaijan and NATO, implementation of Individual Partnership Action Plan (İPAP), as well as the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The meeting focused on Azerbaijan-NATO relations, issues of extending the İPAP program for the third term, reforming security sector in Azerbaijan, regional security issues, etc.

The foundation for cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO was laid through signing a program-document within the framework of the Partnership for Peace May 4 1994. Azerbaijan was one of the 27 OSCE member countries to join the program.

In April 1996, an official document envisaging concrete directions in the cooperation was signed within the framework of the Partnership for Peace. Now, Azerbaijan is fulfilling about 50 tasks in conformity with the program.

August 3, 2005, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed the Decree on "Approval of the Action Plan on Individual Partnership between the Azerbaijani Republic and NATO". Now the cooperation is carried out within the second phase of the Individual Partnership Action Plan between Azerbaijan and NATO, which covers 2008-2010.


/Trend/