Azerbaijan, Baku, May 5/ Trend , K. Zarbaliyeva/
Azerbaijan is interested in ensuring peace and security in Euro-Atlantic area, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said in a video speech he sent to the conference on 15th anniversary of the Azerbaijan-NATO cooperation in Baku.
"Azerbaijani peacekeepers serve in Afghanistan together with ISAF. Azerbaijan's contribution to ISAF points to country's will. We cooperate with Azerbaijan on regional security as a trusted partner," Scheffer said.
NATO-Azerbaijan ties were established in 1992 after Azerbaijan's accession of to the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (renamed into Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council - EAPC in 1997). The cooperation was enhanced following the Azerbaijan's accession to the Partnership for Peace Program in 1994. In addition to supporting the reforms, one of the key goals of NATO-Azerbaijan cooperation is to develop the ability of the country's armed forces to interact with the NATO forces in peacekeeping operations and crisis response. Since 1999, Azerbaijani troops have been providing support to NATO peacekeeping operations in Kosovo and since 2002 - in Afghanistan.
Secretary General said this cooperation is not restricted only to peacekeeping service in Afghanistan. Azerbaijan is also cooperating to approximate its troops to the NATO standards.
Scheffer said Azerbaijan-NATO cooperation also focuses on reforming law enforcement agencies and approximation to standards.
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