Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in Brussels yesterday that the republic had formed a strategic partnership with Nato within the framework of the Partnership for Peace programme in the past 20 years, Trend reports.
Aliyev reminded that he was making his fifth visit to Nato headquarters and noted that NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen had visited Azerbaijan in 2012. Azerbaijan continued discussions of ISAF-related issues. Aliyev said that Azerbaijan will keep enforcing the security of Afghanistan after 2014. About 40% of cargo transported to Afghanistan passes through Azerbaijan.
The Azerbaijani president noted that the republic was cooperating in efforts to fight terrorism and thanked Nato for its support of military reforms and assistance in mine-sweeping.
Aliyev clarified that he had discussed the prospects and expansion of cooperation with Rasmussen. The Nato secretary general noted the successful cooperation with Azerbaijan and emphasized the contribution of Aliyev to the process.
