Azerbaijan, Baku, May 23 / Trend, V.Zhavaronkova /
Azerbaijan is extremely important part of NATO, and the Conference "Emerging Security Challenges: Enhancing Energy Security in the XXI Century" highlighted traditional areas, in which Azerbaijan was NATO's key partner, Ambassador Gabor Iklody, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges, told journalists in Baku on Thursday.
"This is, for instance Afghanistan, where Azerbaijan supported NATO and is also contributing to the stabilization in the country even after 2014. But there are a number of new areas which are the subject matters of the conference," he said.
According to Iklody, there are similar challenges and it is necessary to find recourses to that.
NATO and Azerbaijan are actively cooperating in the field of democratic, institutional and military reforms, as well as conducting 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 move 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 its 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.