Azerbaijan and NATO - 15 years of Partnership

Final Communiqué -Meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of Foreign Ministers held at NATO Headquarters, Brussels -December 2008

NATO  Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme-April 2008 

Bucharest Summit Declaration -3 April 2008

Riga Summit Declaration -29 November 2006

Istanbul Summit Communiqué

Basic Document of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council- Sintra, Portugal, 30 May 1997

Partnership for Peace: Framework Document issued by the Heads of State and Government participating in the Meeting of the North Atlantic Council –Brussels, 10 January 1994

Partnership Action Plan against Terrorism

Information on Azerbaijan-NATO cooperation

In order to determine the areas of future cooperation with NATO, Azerbaijan prepared the PFP Presentation document and submitted it to the Alliance in April 1996. Bilateral partnership incorporated such spheres as military cooperation, defence modernization, democratic control of the armed forces, political consultations on security issues, peace support operations, security sector reform, civil emergency planning, security related scientific, economic and environmental cooperation.

Since 1996, on the basis of its Presentation Document and Partnership Work Programme prepared by NATO, Azerbaijan has been annually adopting Individual Partnership Programme (IPP), which includes all joint activities and events to be attended by national military and civilian representatives. Annually expanding the scope of its Individual Partnership Programme, Azerbaijan participated in more than 200 NATO/PFP activities and events in 2008 and intends to increase this number further.

In 2006, Government of Azerbaijan increased financing of the PFP Programme from 300 000 USD to 850 000 USD. In 2007 this figure was increased to 1.8 million USD. In 2008 and 2009 years this amount was the same - approximately 2 million USD.

In 1997 Azerbaijan joined the Planning and Review Process (PARP), being one of the firsts from CIS countries. PARP related activities were aimed at engaging Azerbaijan more closely to NATO’s defence planning for operations. Since then Azerbaijani Armed Forces are undertaking increasing number of so-called Partnership Goals (PGs) based on two-year cycles. PGs are focused on achieving military interoperability with NATO troops through introduction of NATO’s political-military, military, training and technical standards.

In 2002 Azerbaijan proposed to extend PfP cooperation to broader security sector issues such as the defence against terrorism, the modernization of the State Border Service and transformation of Internal Troops. At the moment, Azerbaijan has undertaken about 53 Partnership Goals mainly related to national defence and security sectors.

In 2002 NATO/EAPC Prague Summit adopted Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) instrument in order to improve cooperation with the Partner nations. In May 2003 Azerbaijan formally applied for joining the IPAP. In May 2004 President of Azerbaijan H.E. Mr. Ilham Aliyev officially submitted the IPAP Presentation Document to the Alliance, which included comprehensive information on the current status of political, economic and security developments in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan and NATO elaborated and approved the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) in May 2005, on the basis of this Presentation Document. The IPAP covers all major political, defence, security and security related economic, scientific and environmental spheres. IPAP implementation and update is based on two-year cycles and annual assessment reports, which are considered at the level of North Atlantic Council +Azerbaijan.

In August 2007 Azerbaijan has completed first IPAP cycle. The new IPAP document was approved in March 2008. Since the adoption of the first IPAP of Azerbaijan in May 2005 real steps have been made towards its successful implementation, including in the sphere of security sector reform. Taking together all the fields of cooperation, progress of Azerbaijan on implementation of IPAP has been considerable.

- Special Presidential decree was issued to task the State Commission, which is composed of the heads of various Ministries, with IPAP’s implementation and defining resources. Since then budget allocations for IPAP and PFP activities have considerably increased.

- The progress has been made in the implementation of the most IPAP goals, including those events, which were added and amended during the modification of the IPAP document in autumn 2006. The work has also begun on the elimination of the shortcomings in the field of controlling, directing and planning of the IPAP process.

- Work on the National Security Concept has been completed and it was subsequently endorsed by the Government and Parliament on 19 May 2007. The work on the Military doctrine is close to finalisation. These two fundamental documents will guide the Strategic Defence Review of the security sector.

- Despite the on-going conflict, the process of gradual transformation of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan has been started. Structural changes on the basis of NATO standarts are under way within MOD, General Staff and army units. It is planned to complete this process in 2009 integrating needs and requirements identified within the Strategic Defence Review (SDR).

- Appropriate measures are being taken for gradual transformation of the State Border Service (SBS) from military strucuture into a law-enforcement type of organization. Considerable work has been done for the reinforcement of technical capabilities and improvement of human resources management within the State Border Service.

- Azerbaijan has already integrated NATO standards into the national military education and training system.

- Amendments to the national legislation are being prepared on the establishment of practical policy related to the career development of civilian personal within the defence system. This will contribute to further strengthening of civilian control on the armed forces.

- Cooperation in the field of Public Diplomacy and Science, as well as the Trust Fund Project on the cleaning of the unexploded munitions have been continuning with success. The foundation of the Euro-Atlantic Centre within the Azerbaijan State Library in Baku, official registration of NISA (NATO International School of Azerbaijan) as an NGO, the beginning of the implemention of the project of Melange conversion and the conclusion of the second cycle of NATO PFP Saloglu Project (the cleaning of 600 hectars of land of Agstafa region of Azerbaijan from unexploded artillery shells and other ammunition) are the main issues in this direction. Currently the third phase of this project has been started.

Deriving from the principle of indivisibility of security in the Euro-Atlantic area, the Republic of Azerbaijan participates in NATO-led peacekeeping operations sanctioned by the UN SC resolutions.

During 1999-2008 years Azerbaijan participated in the NATO-led operation in Kosovo (KFOR),  but in 2008 withdrew its forces from that region after its unilateral declaration of independence.

Azerbaijan makes military and non-military contributions to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. Since 20 November 2002, 22 personnel of peacekeeping battalion of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces were deployed for operations in Afghanistan. On 15 January 2008 the number of Azerbaijani military servicemen was increased to total 45 and 19 February 2009 this number was redoubled again. Currently a full company of 90 members of Azerbaijani Armed Forces serve within the ISAF.

Republic of Azerbaijan is following closely the future development of Partnership with NATO and continuously contributes to its expansion to wider areas.

With regard to the future of the Partnership and the policy of NATO in the region, Azerbaijan considers that the security in Euro-Atlantic area depends on improvement of the capacity of crises management, creation of secure transport corridors, and development of energy security. All of these are essential for the development of Partnership as an institution. The development of Partnership has to give opportunity for the development of security cooperation with NATO on the basis of 3 pillars: political unanimity, legal harmony, practical interoperability. 

Against the background of the increasing global role of NATO and on the basis of the principles provided for in the Partnership for Peace Framework Document, such development has to ensure security guarantees to Partners, which actively share European values and respect international law. Providing security guarantees would prevent the violation of international law and promote stability in international relations.