Ambassador Pashayev: Cancellation of NATO exercises in Baku not to
damage bilateral cooperation

AssA-Irada, Azerbaijan
Sept 15 2004

AssA-Irada 16

The United States is ‘deeply disappointed’ by the failure of Armenian
officers, who were expected to participate in NATO’s “Cooperative
Best Effort-2004” exercises initially scheduled to be held in Baku,
in getting visas.

AssA-Irada — This statement was made by the US Department of State
spokesman while commenting on the cancellation of the NATO exercises.

Unveiling his stance towards the US Department of State spokesman’s
statement, Azerbaijani Ambassador to the U.S. Hafiz Pashayev expressed
his disappointment with the fact that the United States has not taken
into account the reasons for the Azerbaijani public’s protests against
the planned visit by Armenian officers to Baku and the impact that
these protests may cause on talks over the settlement of the Daghliq
(Nagorno) Karabakh conflict.

Ambassador Pashayev stressed that the cancellation of NATO exercises
will not cause any damage to long-term cooperation between the Alliance
and Azerbaijan within the Partnership for Peace program.