Azerbaijan discusses NATO cooperation, regional security with alliance officials

Azerbaijan’s Presidential Aide Hikmet Hajiyev met this week with Alexander Vinnikov, Head of the NATO Liaison Office in Tbilisi, to discuss the further development of NATO-Azerbaijan relations and regional security issues. 

Vinnikov was accompanied by Colonel Berat Telli, NATO Military Liaison Officer, the Swedish Embassy in Baku wrote on Facebook, Caliber.Az reports. 

During the visit, Vinnikov delivered a keynote address at an international conference on NATO’s Defence Education Enhancement Programme, highlighting its contributions to defence and security sector reform. The delegation also held meetings with local think tanks, NATO ambassadors, and Ukraine’s ambassador to Azerbaijan.

The visit was facilitated by the Embassies of Slovakia and Sweden in Baku, which serve as NATO Contact Point Embassies in Azerbaijan for 2025–2026.

Azerbaijan’s cooperation with NATO dates back to 1992, when it joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council, and expanded in 1994 through the Partnership for Peace programme. Since then, Azerbaijan has actively participated in NATO-led peace-support operations, contributing to Euro-Atlantic security.

By Sabina Mammadli