Astana, Kazakhstan / corr Trend K.Konirova / For the time being Azerbaijan has no intention to enter NATO, but it will continue cooperation with this alliance, Safar Abiyev, the Azerbaijani Defense Minister stated. "As the defense minister I state that there is decision on Azerbaijan's entrance to NATO," Abiyev said on 27 November in reply to Trend correspondent's question in a news conference in Astana as a result of a meeting of the CIS Council of Defense Ministers. At the same time the defense minister said that the country will continue cooperation with NATO.
The cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO are based on a frame document 'Partnership for Peace Program' signed on 4 May 1994. Azerbaijan was one of 27 OSCE member-states, which became members of this program.
In April 1996 an official document was signed within the Partnership for Peace Program, which specified concrete directions of interaction. At present in accordance with this program Azerbaijan fulfills around 50 partner tasks.
On 3 August 2005 Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree to confirm an Action Plan on Individual Partnership between Azerbaijan And NATO.
Presently, the cooperation is carried out within the framework of second stage of NATO's Action Plan on Individual Partnership with Azerbaijan.