NATO OFFICIAL, AZERI LEADERS MULL GARABAGH, US-IRAN TENSION
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 11 2006
Baku, April 10, AssA-Irada
NATO backs a peaceful settlement to the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh
conflict and sees mutual efforts by Azerbaijan and Armenia as
pivotal to settle the long-standing dispute, the visiting special
representative of the alliance’s Secretary General to South Caucasus
and Central Asia, Robert Simmons, has said.
Simmons said the Garabagh conflict and the US-Iran tension will be
in focus of his discussions in Azerbaijan. He will also monitor the
country’s progress in fulfilling its commitments on the Individual
Partnership Plan.
Simmons emphasized that the NATO-Azerbaijan cooperation is successfully
developing. The first stage of the Partnership Plan is drawing to
a close and the activities to be carried out within the next stage
have already been discussed with Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.
The head of the Azeri delegation at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly
Ziyafat Asgarov said in a meeting with Simmons on Monday that Armenia’s
policy of aggression is the only hurdle in the way of NATO-Azerbaijan
collaboration.
“Armenia’s territorial claims pose a threat not only to Azerbaijan
but the entire South Caucasus region,” he said.
Simmons has met with President Ilham Aliyev to discuss prospects for
cooperation. He also held meetings with Ministers for Defense Safar
Abiyev and Interior Ramil Usubov.