ADMISSION TO NATO TO BE DISCUSSED IN AZERBAIJAN-US MILITARY CONSULTATIONS: AMBASSADOR

TREND News Agency
June 24 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s admission to NATO will be one of the subject of
discussions during the Azerbaijan-US consultations on security to
be held in Baku, Anne Derse, the US Ambassador to Azerbaijan said to
journalists on 24 June.

The Ambassador expressed her hope that the military consultations
where a wide range of security issue will be discussed will be held
in June 2008.

The military consultations between Azerbaijan and the United States
have been held for already 10 years.

Araz Azimov, the deputy foreign minister of Azerbaijan and high rank
officials of the appropriate ministries of Azerbaijan will represent
Azerbaijan in the consultations.

The Azerbaijan-US security consultations were to be held on 23 to
25 April in Washington, but they were postponed by the official Baku
because of the amendments by the US State Department to the report on
situation of human rights in Armenia published on 6 March. The initial
draft of the report indicated the fact of the Nagorno-Karabakh region
of Azerbaijan and its 7 surrounding regions have been occupied by
Armenia. However, this formula was changed on 20 April.

The US official representatives substantiated the changes by saying
that their previous positions were wrong. Therefore, the official Baku
postponed the visit of the government delegation headed by Azimov to
Washington to hold security consultations.

On 25 April, the State Department restored the initial draft of
the report.