Azerbaijan hosts round table "NATO: a Political & Military Alliance of 21st Century"

A round table entitled "NATO: a Political & Military Alliance of 21st Century" was organized by the Embassy of Romania – NATO Contact Point Embassy in Azerbaijan and Center for National and International Studies in Baku on Wednesday.

In his opening remarks, Ambassador of Romania to Azerbaijan Nicolae Ureche said the round table had significant importance for public diplomacy. He said the public community should be informed about the missions and commitments of the North Atlantic alliance in details.

Member of the Azerbaijani Parliament Asim Mollazadeh made a report "Azerbaijan and NATO: sharing common values and principles". He reminded that such event is topical while the alliance is conducting military operations in Libya and other regions of the world.

Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Azerbaijan, Ambassador Roland Kobia spoke about the EU-NATO cooperation. He said in the very beginning, EU targeted establishing peace in the continent. Later this mission and the continent’s comprehensive military security issues were delivered to NATO. "Most of the EU members joined NATO, which could solve conflicts and contradictions between the European countries as well".

US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza also addressed the participants of the round table. His speech focused on a new NATO’s Partnership Policy after Lisbon Summit. Bryza said after the summit the alliance policy aimed to eliminate new threats, to normalize relations with Russia, as well as to establish relations with the alliance’s neighbors. Touching upon the NATO-Azerbaijan relationship, the ambassador said he didn’t hear any statement by Azerbaijan about NATO membership aspiration, but Baku is interested in the development of partnership with NATO. He said NATO is open to all new democratic countries.

Bryza also reminded that Azerbaijan allowed the western coalition to use its airspace for the operations in Afghanistan. "Such factors are good examples of bilateral cooperation".
The round table was continued with the speeches of other participants.


/APA/