Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.15
Trend:
NATO is grateful for Azerbaijan’s continued commitment to the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan with troops, transit and financial support, a NATO official told Azernews and Trend.
“We strongly welcome the strengthened support from all allies and partners including from Azerbaijan. This remains critical to our progress, and to our objective of bringing peace to Afghanistan,” the official noted.
Last month, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a press conference that NATO is grateful for Azerbaijan’s decision to increase its troop contribution to the Resolute Support Mission next year.
The peacekeeping contingent of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces has been serving in Afghanistan since November 20, 2002. Currently, 90 servicemen, two medical officers and two engineer sappers of Azerbaijani Armed Forces are participating in the mission.
Azerbaijan has several times made substantial donations to the Afghan National Army (ANA) Trust Fund. Moreover, Azerbaijan supports Afghanistan on its path of reforms towards integrating into regional and global economy.
Furthermore, Azerbaijan allowed the NATO planes carrying non-combat loads for a mission in Afghanistan to fly through Azerbaijan’s airspace and to use the country’s airports. About 40 percent of all cargo destined for the NATO mission in Afghanistan pass through Baku.