A preliminary document on the implementation of work under the NATO Program on Individual Partnership (PIP) with Azerbaijan will be publicized in the nearest two months. Robert Simmons, the special representative of the NATO Secretary General on South Caucasus and Central Asia, told a video conference on Friday with participation of partakers at the winter session of Azerbaijan-NATO international school.
NATO expresses approval with the course of implementation of PIP with Azerbaijan and Georgia. Georgia has already stated officially its will to enter NATO and Brussels carried out work with respect to realize the will, Simmons said, noting NATOs relationships with Armenia were also positive, but not so active.
Besides, Simmons noted that NATO approaches with particular sensitivity the issues linked with the energy resources in the South Caucasus and Central Asia, especially, much attention is paid to ensuring security of energy resources in the South-Caucasus region. NATOs senior official noted that in this respect it was planned to carry out some programs and projects, while avoiding going into details.
The same time Simmons said that the North-Atlantic Alliance put no difference between the countries of Central Asia and South Caucasus. The proposals designed by Brussels are referred to all countries of the region without any exclusion, Simmons stressed.
The key topic of the video-conference was Provision of energy security in the Euro-Atlantic region. The event brought together both local and foreign experts from 20 world countries. Experts represented the CIS countries, East Europe and NATO member-countries, while the session was organized in Guba, north Azerbaijan, from 31 December to 6 January. Attending the winter session were Minister for Ecology and Natural Resources, Huseyn Bagirov, the Deputy Foreign Minister, Araz Azimov, Deputy Minister for Economic Development, Mikayil Jabbarov, representatives from BP company, the President of NATOs Energy Forum, Kevin Rosner.
The video-conference was organized with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the NATO Department for Public Diplomacy and non-governmental organization Euro-Atlantic Cooperation of Azerbaijan.
The similar video-bridges have been organized in Azerbaijan since 2001 with expert support from NATO. Such events were held during the summer session and the current debates came as the first winter video-conference.