Azerbaijan extends gratitude to former NATO chief Stoltenberg

Azerbaijan has extended its gratitude to former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg for his contribution to the Azerbaijan-NATO partnership and unwavering support for Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Head of Azerbaijan's delegation to NATO Jafar Huseynzada in a post on the X platform wished Stoltenberg every success in his future endeavours, Caliber.Az reports.

Today, #NATO bids farewell to Secretary General @jensstoltenberg. We extend our sincere gratitude for your contribution to the Azerbaijan-NATO partnership and your unwavering support for Azerbaijan's #sovereignty and #territorialintegrity throughout your distinguished tenure.
We… pic.twitter.com/NcdTuUVJ3p

— Jafar Huseynzada 🇦🇿 (@JafarHuseynzade) October 1, 2024

"We warmly recall your recent visit to Baku and the meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in March 2024, which also coincided with the 30th anniversary of the Azerbaijan-NATO partnership. We wish you every success in your future endeavours," he wrote.

Notably, on September 30, 2024, the NATO Military Committee officially bid farewell to Stoltenberg, marking the end of his tenure as Secretary General, which began shortly after Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Stoltenberg, the second-longest serving Secretary General in NATO's history, has overseen some of the most challenging years in the Alliance's existence, including the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, global terrorist attacks, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

His leadership also coincided with the formal accession of four new NATO Allies: Montenegro, North Macedonia, Finland, and Sweden. As Stoltenberg departs, he will be succeeded by Mark Rutte, the former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, starting on October 1, 2024.

The transition marks a significant moment for NATO as it continues to navigate a rapidly changing security landscape.

By Aghakazim Guliyev