NATO MUST EXPRESS STRICT POSITION ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT: FIRST VICE-SPEAKER OF AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENT

Trend
June 25, 2009 Thursday 1:06 PM GMT +4
Azerbaijan

If NATO is willing to cooperate with Azerbaijan, the alliance must
assist in releasing territories occupied by Armenia, the first vice
speaker of the Azerbaijani Milli Mejlis Ziyafet Askerov said.

"NATO remains aloof. We are told that OSCE Minsk Group deals with
this issue. But unfortunately Minsk Group gives no results. My point
of view is the following, NATO must express its strict position
regarding Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Askerov told Trend News in
Astana on June 25.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and 7 districts surrounding
Nagorno-Karabakh. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia,
France, and the U.S. – are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Basis of cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO was laid by
signing frame document -Partnership for Peace program on May 4,
1994. Azerbaijna was one of 27 members-states of OSCE. Azerbaijan
became one of participants of this program.

Official document was signed within Partnership for Peace
program determining concrete directions of interaction in April
1996. Presently, Azerbaijan fulfills over 50 partner tasks in
accordance with this program.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed the decree Approval of
plan of actions on individual partnership of the Azerbaijani Republic
with NATO on August 3, 2005.

Presently, cooperation is conducted within the second stage of Plan
of actions on individual partnership of the Azerbaijani Republic
with NATO.