Paolo Alli hails NATO-Azerbaijan relations

Baku, September 14, AZERTAC President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Paolo Alli has hailed NATO-Azerbaijan relations as he met with Azerbaijan`s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov in Baku. The sides exchanged views on the current state and prospects of ties between Azerbaijan and NATO, regional security and economic cooperation. Noting that Azerbaijan have reliable and lasting partnership relations with NATO, Minister Elmar Mammadyarov stressed that Azerbaijan is committed to supporting international peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan. Minister Mammadyarov said that Azerbaijan is not only cooperating within the framework of NATO, but also developing bilateral cooperation across many spheres with Afghanistan, as well as economic and investment areas. FM Mammadyarov briefed Paolo Alli on the large-scale trans-regional transport and energy projects initiated by Azerbaijan and noted the promising contribution of TAP to the European energy security. President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Paolo Alli thanked for successful cooperation, particularly for Azerbaijan's consistent contribution to international peace and security within the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on regional issues. Elmar Mammadyarov said that the occupation of Azerbaijan's lands by Armenia and illegal presence of Armenia's armed forces in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan remains a serious threat to regional peace and security. He emphasized that Azerbaijan praises the final communiqué of the NATO Brussels Summit as it reiterated its support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan and called for the resolution of conflict based on these principles. They also discussed other issues of mutual interest.