No:130/19, Press-release of the Press Service Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Azerbaijan’s joining to the Partnership for Peace Program of NATO on May 4, 1994
Twenty-five years ago today, the Republic of Azerbaijan joined the Partnership for Peace (PfP) program of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. On May 4, 1994, late President Heydar Aliyev visited NATO Headquarters and signed the Partnership for Peace Framework Document. Azerbaijan has ever since developed a strong and mutually beneficial partnership with the Alliance.
Cooperation with NATO is one of the important directions of Azerbaijan’s foreign and security policy. Azerbaijan views its partnership with NATO as a means for contributing to security, stability and prosperity in the whole Euro-Atlantic area.
The PfP program can definitely be as one of the most successful programs of the Alliance and Azerbaijan commends its positive role in enhancing the Euro-Atlantic security.
25 years of cooperation with NATO have been driven by common values and principles of the PfP Framework Document and the UN Charter, most notably by the commitment to respect political independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.
Azerbaijan welcomes the continuous support expressed by the NATO Allies for the territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the resolution of the conflict based on these principles, as reiterated in its summit declarations since the beginning of our partnership.
Azerbaijan attaches great importance to its regular political dialogue with NATO on a wide range of issues of common interest and highly values its practical cooperation with the Alliance on various fields, most notably on peace operations and defence reforms.
Azerbaijan and NATO has strong partnership in the field of peace operations. Azerbaijan is an early contributor to NATO-led peace operations, which are mandated by the UN Security Council. Currently, Azerbaijan contributes by troops to the NATO mission in Afghanistan and enables use of its air and ground lines of communications in support of the mission. Azerbaijan also provides important financial support to the training of Afghan security forces.
Azerbaijan is determined to continue to work with NATO by building on the success it achieved within the PfP, in line with its principles and purposes, with the aim to foster peace and security within the Euro-Atlantic area and beyond.