Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar.19
By Anahanum Khidayatova - Trend:
NATO provides the political support to other international organizations such as the OSCE, in order to maintain the peaceful settlement of conflicts, Officer-Coordinator for the South Caucasus William Lahue told reporters March19.
He said that the purpose of NATO is to ensure safety, primarily in the member states of the alliance. But the North Atlantic Alliance is not directly involved in the peace talks to resolve the conflicts, he said.
He said that NATO is surely interested in stability in the whole world, especially in the countries neighboring with the alliance member states. He went on to add that therefore, NATO maintains strong relationships with its partners, which include Azerbaijan. Cooperation with Azerbaijan is also aimed at ensuring stability and security in the region, he said.
The officer-coordinator said that the decision on the involvement of NATO in new conflicts, if they arise, is made directly by the North Atlantic Alliance.
William Lahue went on to add that regarding the conflict in Ukraine, NATO member states decided that NATO will not take part in it. It was agreed that NATO military intervention will not establish peace in Ukraine, he said.
Azerbaijan is an active partner of NATO in peacekeeping operations. The cooperation is carried out as part of the "Partnership for Peace" program.
Earlier this year, NATO has approved a document of the fourth stage of the Individual Partnership Action Plan for 2015-2016.
The meetings are held in Baku and Brussels to analyze the fulfillment of the activities and objectives of the partnership as part of this plan and the Planning and Review Process (PARP) together with the NATO International Staff.
Around 27 of 41 tasks of the partnership adopted by Azerbaijan within PARP refer to the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan. Some adopted objectives of the partnership have been fulfilled. The work is underway to fulfill other long-term objectives of the partnership.
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