Azerbaijan, Baku, June 16 / Trend, M. Aliyev /
The Azerbaijani Defence Minister Safar Abiyev discussed cooperation with the Alliance with the NATO Secretary General's special representative Robert Simmons, the Defence Ministry said.
The meeting between Abiyev and Simmons discussed military and political situation in the region and, in particular, the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The foundation for cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO was laid through signing a program-document within the framework of the Partnership for Peace May 4 1994. Azerbaijan was one of the 27 OSCE member countries to join the program.
In April 1996, an official document envisaging concrete directions in the cooperation was signed within the framework of the Partnership for Peace. Now, Azerbaijan is fulfilling about 50 tasks in conformity with the program.
August 3, 2005, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed the Decree on "Approval of the Action Plan on Individual Partnership between the Azerbaijani Republic and NATO".
Azerbaijan and NATO are now cooperating within the second stage of the Action Plan on Development of Individual Partnership between Azerbaijan and NATO.
Since 1999, the Azerbaijani troops have being providing support to peacekeeping operations of NATO in Kosovo, and since 2002 - in Afghanistan.