Kazakhstan, Astana, June 25 / Trend K. Konyrova /
If NATO is willing to cooperate with Azerbaijan, the alliance must assist in releasing territories occupied by Armenia, the first vice speaker of the Azerbaijani Milli Mejlis Ziyafet Askerov said.
"NATO remains aloof. We are told that OSCE Minsk Group deals with this issue. But unfortunately Minsk Group gives no results. My point of view is the following, NATO must express its strict position regarding Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Askerov told Trend in Astana on June 25.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and 7 districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Basis of cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO was laid by signing frame document -Partnership for Peace program on May 4, 1994. Azerbaijna was one of 27 members-states of OSCE. Azerbaijan became one of participants of this program.
Official document was signed within Partnership for Peace program determining concrete directions of interaction in April 1996. Presently, Azerbaijan fulfills over 50 partner tasks in accordance with this program.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed the decree Approval of plan of actions on individual partnership of the Azerbaijani Republic with NATO on August 3, 2005.
Presently, cooperation is conducted within the second stage of Plan of actions on individual partnership of the Azerbaijani Republic with NATO.
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