Ilham Aliyev met with permanent representatives of NATO North Atlantic Council member states

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with permanent representatives of NATO North Atlantic Council member states.

Addressing the meeting, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that the cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Alliance was developing successfully and the current visit of President Ilham Aliyev made an important contribution to the expansion of mutual ties.

Speaking next was President Ilham Aliyev. The President said that the relations between NATO and Azerbaijan had a good history. He noted that this cooperation was developing successfully and Azerbaijani soldiers were actively involved in peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan. President Ilham Aliyev also indicated that our country has been developing rapidly in recent years and has made major strides in the economic sphere. He said Azerbaijan was making an important contribution to European energy security.

Touching upon the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the President spoke about the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan and the grave consequences of this occupation. He also informed the meeting about the current state and prospects for peace talks.

In their remarks, permanent representatives of the NATO North Atlantic Council member states noted that Azerbaijan's cooperation with NATO was developing successfully and emphasized the country’s active participation in peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan. The permanent representatives said that Azerbaijan was making a special contribution in terms of transit, financial aid and other areas. They stressed the importance of resolving the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the framework of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. Emphasizing the role of Azerbaijan in the European energy security, the permanent representatives said that successful cooperation had already been established in this area, adding that large-scale energy projects such as the Trans-Anatolian and Trans-Adriatic pipelines and "Shah Deniz -2" were making an important contribution to the process.

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This concluded the working visit of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to the Kingdom of Belgium.