AZERBAIJAN VULNERABLE FROM SAFETY POINT OF VIEW: EXPERTS BELIEVE

arminfo
2008-01-31 11:56:00

ArmInfo-TURAN. The roundtable session ‘Polarized and balanced
safety: South Caucasus between Russia and NATO’ took place in the
International Press Center of the NGO ‘Peace and Conflicts Settlement
Center." According to the head of this structure Elkhan Mehdiyev,
from the safety point of view Azerbaijan is in a vacuum. "Part of the
territory is occupied, and the country shares a 120 km border with
Iran. Baku has not expressed its attitude on membership in NATO,"
Mehdiyev said.

He believes that Armenia’s situation is more favorable, because
it participates in the Partnership for Peace and Individual Plan of
Cooperation with NATO. Georgia sees its safety in NATO, and has stated
this, Mehdiyev said. The session participants noted that resolution
of the question on Azerbaijan’s safety is to keep independence and
to restore territorial integrity.

At the same time, safety is dependent on democracy, free elections,
social justice and transparency.

Russia and Iran have always been the source of threats to Azerbaijan’s
independence and territorial integrity. Therefore Azerbaijan should try
to join the multi-polar union of states’ safety. NATO cannot yet make
a contribution into restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity,
because there is no consensus between NATO members, participants of
today’s roundtable session believes.