Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11
By Saba Agayeva - Trend
The relations between NATO and Azerbaijan are fruitful, the organizations' Deputy Secretary General Sorin Ducaru told the media on April 11.
Ducaru is taking part in the conference on the prospects of cooperation with NATO and the 20th anniversary of "Partnership for Peace".
"2014 is an important milestone in the cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO as this year the coalition forces will be withdrawn from Afghanistan," he added.
"Azerbaijan has opened transit opportunities for us," he added. "In particular, this year we will withdraw our forces from Afghanistan. After 2014, our presence in Afghanistan will differ from the previous one."
He stressed that practical cooperation is also essential.
"We supported the reforms in Azerbaijan, particularly in the sphere of defense," he added.
Ducaru stressed that the sides conducted about 80 joint activities, which raise the practical cooperation to a higher level.
"This meeting is an excellent platform for discussing the achievements, failures and future measures of cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO, as well as achieving successful results," Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov said at the conference.
"The 20th anniversary of the "Partnership for Peace" program is being celebrated today," he added. "We will discuss the present, as well as the expectations connected with the future of NATO, the process settlement in the alliance."
Translated by NH
Edited by CN