AZERI DEFENSE MINISTER WANTS NATO TO DISCUSS KARABAGH
ArmenPress
Nov 22 2004
BAKU, NOVEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS: Receiving Belgian defense minister
August Vandel in Baku, Azerbaijan’s defense minister Safar Abiyev
said the priority goal of Azerbaijan’s armed forces was to move to
NATO standards as close as possible.
Abiyev said the process of armed forces’ training was in may aspects
conforming NATO requirements. He also spoke in favor of placing the
Nagorno Karabagh conflict on NATO agenda. “By joining the NATO’s
Partnership for Peace program Armenia has committed not to lay
territorial claims to neighbor countries. I believe it is time to
discuss that issue,” he was quoted by Azeri news media as saying.
Belgian defense minister spoke for his part in favor of a bigger EU
involvement in the conflict regulation process and suggested also
that Azerbaijan could use Belgium’s experience in building a mobile
and easily managed armed forces.