Azerbaijan, NATO mull cooperation prospects
By Nazrin Gadimova
Successful cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO, as well as Azerbaijan’s contribution to the international security within the peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan was high on the agenda of talks held between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and visiting James Appathurai, NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia on February 16, 2016.
President Aliyev highlighted with pleasure his meeting with Stoltenberg during the Davos forum, held in late January this year.
During the talks, the parties hailed successful cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO, as well as praised Azerbaijan’s contribution to the international security within the peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan.
The sides further exchanged views over the current state of negotiations on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and expressed satisfaction with the fact that the documents adopted by NATO constantly support Azerbaijan's territorial integrity.
Furthermore, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met a delegation led by James Appathurai.
The sides exchanged views on the current state and prospects of relations between Azerbaijan and NATO.
Appathurai hailed relations and successful cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO, and especially mentioned the continuous support of Azerbaijan to the operations in Afghanistan for the sake of international peace and security.
Pointing out the reliable and steady relations between Azerbaijan and NATO, Mammadyarov stressed the development of cooperation within the frames of Individual Partnership Action Plan, Planning and Review Process and Operational Capabilities Concept.
He stressed that Azerbaijan would continue to contribute to the Resolute Support Mission of NATO in Afghanistan.
Touching upon the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict Mammadyarov emphasized that Armenia must withdraw its armed forces from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan for the peaceful resolution of the conflict.
The sides also discussed regional and international issues of mutual interest.
“Azerbaijan is a reliable, consistent contributor to joint activities,” Appathurai told reporters as a part of his visit to Baku.
Appathurai noted that NATO supports the OSCE Minsk Group’s efforts in resolving the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
“We are not directly involved in the process of resolving. But our position is that we support Minsk Group efforts and the peaceful resolution to this conflict,” he added.
Appathurai said NATO representatives would arrive in Azerbaijan to discuss further cooperation in the framework of Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) in the near future.
"We are coming to the end of the second year of the program. In the near future my colleagues will arrive in Azerbaijan to discuss the next biennium cooperation within the framework of the program,” he added.
Appathurai also said NATO would continue to work with Azerbaijan in Afghanistan.
NATO and Azerbaijan are actively cooperating on democratic, institutional, and military reforms, as well as conducting practical cooperation in various areas.
Azerbaijan aspires to achieve Euro-Atlantic standards and get closer to Euro-Atlantic institutions. In this regard, supporting the security sector reform and establishing democratic institutions are the key elements of the NATO-Azerbaijan cooperation.
The Azerbaijan-NATO cooperation is carried out within the "Partnership for Peace" program. Earlier, NATO adopted a document of the fourth stage of the Individual Partnership Action Plan for 2015-2016.