NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska has завершed a two day visit to Azerbaijan, with alliance officials describing the partnership as stable and continuing to develop amid wider regional security concerns.
During meetings in Baku with Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, parliamentary speaker Sahiba Gafarova and presidential representative Elchin Amirbayov, discussions focused on the current state of NATO Azerbaijan cooperation and regional issues including the normalisation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as stability in the Black Sea region.
NATO said the visit underlined the longevity of the relationship, built on more than three decades of political dialogue and practical cooperation. Ms Shekerinska welcomed what NATO described as Azerbaijan’s consistent engagement with the alliance, particularly in areas such as interoperability and defence education, noting “over three decades of political dialogue and practical cooperation in areas of mutual benefit.”
She also reiterated NATO’s appreciation for Azerbaijan’s past contributions to alliance missions, including its role in Afghanistan, and highlighted the country’s significance in European energy security. According to NATO, Azerbaijan’s gas exports have played an important role in supporting several allied nations since Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine, with Ms Shekerinska stressing that these flows have “bolstered the energy independence of several NATO Allies, especially since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.”
The Deputy Secretary General said the alliance remains ready to expand political dialogue and practical cooperation, including through support for ongoing defence and security reforms. She confirmed progress towards finalising an Individually Tailored Partnership Programme, a multi year framework intended to give Azerbaijan access to NATO activities spanning defence education modernisation, demining, human security, cyber defence, countering information threats and integrity building. NATO said the programme would also allow Azerbaijan to provide enhanced support to alliance missions and operations, strengthening practical cooperation without altering the country’s non member status.
During the visit, Ms Shekerinska also announced the appointment of a new NATO Special Representative for the South Caucasus and Central Asia, who is expected to assume the role in the near future. Alongside official meetings, the Deputy Secretary General held discussions with students at ADA University, members of Azerbaijan’s policy research community and allied ambassadors, as NATO continues to position the South Caucasus as a region of growing strategic relevance linked to wider Black Sea and Euro Atlantic security.
Not comfortable with NATO getting closer to a nation that has invaded it’s neighbour 3 times in the past few years.
Before anyone say’s that the land they invaded belonged to Azerbaijan according to the UN, the land in question has been Armenian majority for centuries if not longer and now the population there has been displaced, as is the style of islamic countries when it comes to religious minorities.
So to hell with UN frankly