BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.22
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
Azerbaijan sees further potential to develop political consultation and dialogue with NATO, Assistant of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev told EURACTIV, Trend reports.
“Last year we celebrated 25th anniversary of the Partnership for Peace Program that Azerbaijan joined in 1994. Since then, cooperation with NATO played an important role in security reform and defense reform in Azerbaijan. Education, training and exercises provided by different NATO programs were important instruments in Azerbaijan’s defense building and defense reform process,” he said.
Hajiyev pointed out that currently, Azerbaijan is considered as a reliable and committed partner by NATO.
“And I am proud to say that today Azerbaijani soldiers shoulder-to-shoulder to NATO allies and partner countries are serving in Afghanistan against terrorism and trying to provide and bring peace and security to this country. Azerbaijan also plays an important role as a transit and logistic hub for the transportation of lifesaving goods for NATO allied partner countries. We also see that there is further potential to develop political consultation and dialogue. Within the visit to Brussels, we had 29 + 1 format, that is NATO + Azerbaijan format of discussions on general political and regional issues, including Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that I had a good chance to brief NATO colleagues and friends from the partner and allied countries,” he added.