Azernews.Az

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has attended a NATO summit in Chicago held May 20-21 during his working visit to the United States.

President Barack Obama hosted this important diplomatic summit joined by leaders from around the world. This was the first time an American city other than Washington has hosted a NATO summit.

President Aliyev participated in a meeting of heads of state and government on the Afghanistan issue held Monday on the sidelines of the summit. The Azerbaijani leader addressed the event.

The meeting came after world leaders completed some of the most intensive negotiations of the year on issues ranging from eradicating hunger to resolution of the eurozone crisis and ending the Afghanistan war.

In the NATO communique, the heads of state and government said the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan was on track and ``irreversible``, and would provide a new non-combat NATO mission in Afghanistan after 2014 ``to train, advise and assist`` the Afghan army.

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the participants had agreed on three key points regarding Afghanistan. He described these three points as ``the next stage of our engagement until our mission is completed at the end of 2014, the role for NATO after 2014, and thirdly, our support for the sustainment of future Afghan security forces.``

President Barack Obama, after meeting Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai in Chicago on Sunday, insisted that within the next two years the war in Afghanistan ``as we know it would be over``.

President Obama praised the operation in Afghanistan carried out by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and noted that 75 percent of Afghanistan is controlled by the Afghans.

President Aliyev, addressing the meeting, said that since the early years Azerbaijan has made every effort to ensure peace and security in Afghanistan. Aliyev stressed Azerbaijan continues its mission and Azerbaijani servicemen are closely involved in peacekeeping operations in the country.

In addition, Aliyev said Azerbaijan has also contributed to Afghanistan by carrying out various trainings for the Afghan military. ``Azerbaijan will continue its assistance to Afghanistan until 2014, and, if necessary, will spare no effort in the future.``

While in Chicago, President Aliyev met with UK Prime Minister David Cameron. The sides expressed their satisfaction with the level of bilateral relations in various fields and voiced their confidence that the ties would expand further.

During the meeting it was noted that energy cooperation between the two countries was yielding good results. The sides emphasized that the efforts taken jointly with BP had led to successful steps towards creating the Southern Corridor and that this process was ongoing.

The sides also discussed the situation in Afghanistan and noted that great importance was being attached to the cooperation in building peace and security in the post-war country.

On the sidelines of the summit, President Aliyev also met with Turkish President Abdullah Gul. The parties praised the successful development of fraternal relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey in all areas and voiced their confidence that these relations would continue to expand in the future. The two presidents exchanged views on the expansion of bilateral cooperation.

Aliyev had a meeting with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili as well. The sides expressed their satisfaction with the development of Azerbaijani-Georgian relations in various fields and exchanged views on prospects for closer cooperation between the two South Caucasus countries.

In the Azerbaijani president`s meeting with Montenegro`s Prime Minister Igor Luksic, the parties stressed that the relations between the two countries were developing successfully. It was noted that the strengthening of political ties was giving an impetus to the expansion of cooperation in other areas, including economy. The sides emphasized that the cooperation in energy, tourism and transport infrastructure had good prospects.

During President Aliyev`s meeting with Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa, the sides welcomed the development of bilateral relations in recent years and noted the importance of Azerbaijani-Slovenian economic ties, in particular those in energy, investments and joint participation in various projects. The parties also pointed to a good potential for a further expansion of cooperation between the two countries within the European Union.

Aliyev also met with Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bakir Izetbegovic in Chicago. The development of relations between the two countries was welcomed at the meeting. The parties noted that bilateral cooperation was yielding good results in various areas and stressed the importance of developing their ties further.

NATO appeal over protracted conflicts
NATO called on parties of protracted regional conflicts in South Caucasus and Moldova to avoid steps that could undermine regional security and stability, says a declaration of the North-Atlantic alliance, passed following the Chicago Summit.

``We urge all parties to engage constructively and with reinforced political will in peaceful conflict resolution, and to respect the current negotiation formats,`` the declaration says.

According to the declaration, the persistence of protracted regional conflicts in South Caucasus and the Republic of Moldova continues to be a matter of great concern for NATO.

``We remain committed in our support of the territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and the Republic of Moldova, and will also continue to support efforts towards a peaceful settlement of these regional conflicts, based upon these principles and the norms of international law, the United Nations Charter, and the Helsinki Final Act,`` the signatories noted.

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman Abdullayev said NATO`s Chicago statement on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno Karabakh conflict has confirmed the support of yet another international organisation for Azerbaijan.

``The fact that the statement was signed by major international players indicates strong support for Azerbaijan`s just cause in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict,`` Abdullayev said.

He said the 47th clause of the statement indicates support for Azerbaijan`s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

But Azerbaijani Presidential Administration department head Ali Hasanov expressed discontent with NATO`s efforts on settling the Karabakh conflict.

Hasanov said at a press conference Monday that NATO is not making an effort and not putting forth the political will to intervene in the Nagorno Karabakh and Georgian-Abkhazian conflicts in the South Caucasus region.

Hasanov said Azerbaijan expects much from NATO, the OSCE and other organizations with which it cooperates.

``In particular, Azerbaijan expects a lot from those organizations which have the actual power and influence to ensure implementation of the UN resolutions [on an unconditional pullout of Armenian armed forces from the Azerbaijani territories occupied since the 1990s war],`` Hasanov said. ``But today there is no real result in the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, because Armenia is still adhering to its destructive position and failing to withdraw from the occupied territories. Today a constructive position on the establishment of peace in Nagorno Karabakh is not being displayed.``

A fragile ceasefire has been in place in the region since the brutal war between the two South Caucasus neighbors that claimed some 30,000 lives and displaced about one million Azerbaijanis from their homes. Armenia continues to occupy 20 percent of Azerbaijan`s internationally recognized territory. Peace talks, brokered by the United States, Russia and France through the OSCE Minsk Group, have been largely fruitless so far.