Azerbaijan, Baku, April 13 / Trend, S.Agayeva /
Azerbaijan as a NATO partner country, has been contributing to global peace and stability for many years, is an active participant of the Alliance's operations in Afghanistan and the Alliance, in turn, may play an important role in ensuring regional security, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's Security Department Deputy Chief Gaya Mammadov said at a conference in Baku dedicated to the upcoming NATO summit Chicago.
He said Azerbaijan and NATO cooperate in several directions: political dialogue, which is held at the highest level, the country's participation in NATO peacekeeping operations, assistance in mine clearing in Azerbaijani territories previously occupied by Armenia and assistance in applying NATO standards in the Azerbaijani army.
"As is known Azerbaijan is in conflict with Armenia, and in this context, some problems emerge in applying NATO standards in the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, therefore, Azerbaijan needs the Alliance's assistance," Mammadov said.
He said Azerbaijan hopes for NATO's intensified role in establishing peace and stability in the region.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France and the U.S. - are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
NATO and Azerbaijan are actively cooperating in the field of democratic, institutional and military reform, as well as conduct practical cooperation in many areas. The programme of cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO is set out in the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) of Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan seeks to achieve the Euro-Atlantic norms and standards and come closer to Euro-Atlantic institutions. In this regard, support for security sector reform and creation of the institution of democracy are the key elements of cooperation between NATO and Azerbaijan.
In addition to reforms, another important area of cooperation is support to Azerbaijan in the conduct of NATO-led operations. Currently, Azerbaijan sent peacekeepers to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. In the past, the country has also actively supported operations in Kosovo.