TREND News Agency
June 24 2008
Azerbaijan

NATO Thinks Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict May be Solved Only within
Azerbaijan’s Territorial Integrity" -Ambassador 24.06.08 14:35

Azerbaijan, Baku, 24 June / Т corr S. Agayeva/ NATO supports
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

"NATO supports territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and thinks
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict can be solved only within the
framework of country’s territorial integrity," Azerbaijan’s permanent
representative to NATO Kamil Khasiyev said to journalists in Baku on
24 June.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began
in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.

"NATO’s position on Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict is unambiguous
and it was confirmed at the last NATO summit in Bucharest," said
Khasiyev. The document which was adopted at the summit stresses
the conflicts going on in the region must be solved only within the
framework of territorial integrity.

"NATO highly appreciates cooperation with Azerbaijan and thinks the
country is achieving considerable success in implementation of its
obligations," said Khasiyev.

Azerbaijan has been cooperating with NATO since 1994 within the
framework of the Partnership for Peace program and is actively
implementing military reforms to switch to NATO standards.

The foundation for cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO was laid
by signing a program-document within the framework of the Partnership
for Peace on 4 May 1994. Azerbaijan was the first amongst the 27 OSCE
member countries to join the program. In April 1996, an official
document envisaging concrete directions in cooperation was signed
under the Partnership for Peace program. Now, through the program
Azerbaijan is fulfilling about 50 tasks.

Experts think Azerbaijan will be the next after Georgia and Ukraine
to nominate for NATO membership.

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