OFFICIAL BAKU REGRETS CANCELLATION OF NATO EXERCISES COOPERATIVE BEST
EFFORT-2004
RIA Novosti, Russia
Sept 15 2004
BAKU, September 15 (RIA Novosti) – The Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan
has circulated a statement in which “deep regret was expressed in
connection with the cancellation of NATO’ exercises Cooperative Best
Effort-2004 which were slated for September 14-26 in Azerbaijan
within the framework of NATO’s Partnership for Peace program.
The statement, which says that Azerbaijan viewed these exercises “as
a remarkable and significant event on the way of integration into the
Euro-Atlantic space and created all the necessary conditions for
their holding” stresses at the same time that during the peace talks
on the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict “the
leadership of Armenia has been taking ever more non-constructive and
tougher stance.” “In this situation the participation of the Armenian
military in the exercises held in Azerbaijani territory was
unacceptable for Azerbaijan,” the statement says.
The foreign ministry’s statement also stresses that the Azerbaijani
side confirms its adherence to the Euro-Atlantic values and
partnership with NATO and expresses the hope that the relations of
effective partnership which were established between NATO and
Azerbaijan will dynamically develop in future.”
The unwillingness of the Azerbaijani authorities to see
representatives of Armenia whose “occupation troops” as it is alleged
in Baku continue to retain a considerable part of the country’s
territory has led to the cancellation of the exercises. It is also
assumed in Baku, that the support rendered by Yerevan to the
authorities of the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorny Karabakh – an
Armenian enclave on the territory of Azerbaijan – is conducive to the
strengthening of the “separatist regime in Stepanakert” and hinders
the returning of Nagorny Karabakh under the jurisdiction of
Azerbaijan.