Azerbaijan strengthens ties with NATO through defence training initiative photo

A course on “Combat Readiness Evaluation of Ground Forces Headquarters, Units, and Divisions (CREVAL)” is currently being held in Baku within the framework of NATO’s Operational Capabilities Concept, the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry reported to Caliber.Az.

The event, hosted at the War Games Centre of the National Defence University, brings together relevant servicemen from NATO member and partner countries. The purpose of the course is to train and certify military personnel to evaluate units and subunits declared as part of the Alliance’s Joint Force.

According to the Defence Ministry, up to 39 representatives from NATO member and partner nations are participating in the program.

NATO–Azerbaijan cooperation has a long history dating back to 1992, when Azerbaijan joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (now the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council) shortly after gaining independence. Two years later, in 1994, Azerbaijan became a participant in NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) program, establishing a framework for enduring political and military collaboration.

Over the decades, Azerbaijan has contributed to NATO-led operations in Kosovo and Afghanistan, where Azerbaijani peacekeepers served alongside Allied forces. The cooperation has primarily focused on defence reform, interoperability, civil-military relations, and border security.

Azerbaijan also takes part in NATO’s Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP), which defines key areas of collaboration such as defence planning, education, crisis management, and cybersecurity. The partnership has been further strengthened through NATO-supported training and modernisation initiatives, including courses at the NATO School in Oberammergau and the Partnership for Peace Training Centre in Baku.

While Azerbaijan maintains a policy of non-alignment and does not seek NATO membership, it continues to regard cooperation with the Alliance as a strategic element of its defence and security modernisation efforts, maintaining a balanced approach in its relations with both NATO and regional partners such as Türkiye.

By Tamilla Hasanova