President Aliyev receives NATO delegation, notes importance of expanding ties PHOTO

On November 6, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received a delegation comprising permanent representatives from more than a dozen NATO countries.

The delegation included the permanent representatives of Türkiye, Greece, Hungary, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Portugal, and Spain to NATO, as well as the deputy permanent representatives of the United States and France, Caliber.Az reports per Azertag.

Türkiye’s Permanent Representative to NATO, Basat Öztürk, emphasised the significance of the NATO delegation’s meeting with President Ilham Aliyev and expressed satisfaction in recalling the Azerbaijani head of state’s visits to the NATO headquarters.

He noted that the foundation of Azerbaijan’s current development was laid by National Leader Heydar Aliyev, and the country has continued to grow stronger in all areas under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev.

The guests conveyed their congratulations to President Ilham Aliyev on the progress achieved in Washington regarding the peace agenda between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Expressing his gratitude for the congratulations, the head of state highlighted the special role of U.S. President Donald Trump in this process and noted that the agreements reached open up broad opportunities for the region’s development.

President Ilham Aliyev, recalling his visits to the NATO headquarters, stated that while support for operations in Afghanistan has been an important part of Azerbaijan–NATO cooperation, collaboration between the country and the Alliance also covers areas such as regional development and energy security.

The head of state emphasised that the Azerbaijani Army has been adapted to NATO standards and pointed out its close cooperation with the Turkish Armed Forces within this framework, underlining the importance of expanding ties between Azerbaijan and the Alliance.

President Ilham Aliyev noted that since Azerbaijan regained its independence at the beginning of the last century, the country has achieved its main national goal—liberation of its territories from occupation—and stressed that the modernisation of the army will continue.

The head of state expressed hope that the NATO delegation’s visit to Azerbaijan would be successful.

During the meeting, Azerbaijan was described as a valuable partner of NATO. The services of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, as well as the country’s contribution as a regional transport and logistics hub, were highly praised. It was noted that Azerbaijani peacekeepers were the last military personnel to leave Afghanistan.

The sides also discussed Azerbaijan’s close friendship and strategic partnership with NATO member states and highlighted that since joining NATO’s “Partnership for Peace” Programme in 1994, Azerbaijan has actively participated in the Alliance’s initiatives.

The meeting also included discussions on the prospects of Azerbaijan–NATO cooperation and an exchange of views on regional and global issues.

By Khagan Isayev