FM OF AZERBAIJAN MEETS NATO ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL JEAN FOURNET

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
July 3 2006

Foreign minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov on 3 July met with
the NATO Assistant Secretary General Jean Fournet.

Noting that the NATO Public Diplomacy Division closely cooperates with
Azerbaijan, J. Fournet produced as evidence the NATO Week in Baku,
inauguration of Euro-Atlantic Information Center.

Mr. Mammadyarov said Azerbaijan pays special attention to cooperation
with NATO.

‘Expansion of cooperation with the Euro-Atlantic structures is one
of the priorities of our foreign policy’, he stressed. He underlined
the role of the public organizations in this field.

Stability on the South Caucasus is the major factor of this
cooperation, Elmar Mammadyarov noted, underlining that the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict impedes cooperation in
region. The conflict also hampers the realization of global energy
and other projects, he added.

The Minister also informed on the would-be-created Academy of Diplomacy
in the Republic. Jean Fournet appreciated creation of the Academy
and expressed readiness to render any assistance needed.

In the meeting, also exchanged were views on a number of other issues
of mutual interest.