President Aliyev: Ties with NATO expanding, army aligned with Alliance standards
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has stressed the importance of expanding cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO, saying collaboration on regional development, energy security and other areas remains a priority.
Speaking at a meeting with a visiting NATO delegation on Thursday, President Aliyev noted that Baku’s support for NATO operations in Afghanistan was a key component of Azerbaijan–NATO cooperation, News.Az reports, citing the presidential website. He emphasised that the Azerbaijani Army has been aligned with NATO standards and highlighted close cooperation with the Turkish Armed Forces in this regard.
Aliyev said that Azerbaijan has achieved its main national objective by liberating its lands from Armenian occupation and that the modernisation of the army will continue. He also expressed confidence that the NATO delegation’s visit to Azerbaijan would be successful.
Basat Öztürk, Türkiye’s permanent representative to NATO, underlined the importance of the meeting with President Aliyev, recalling the President’s visits to NATO headquarters with satisfaction. He said the foundations of Azerbaijan’s current development were laid by National Leader Heydar Aliyev and stressed that under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the country has become stronger in all areas.
The guests congratulated President Aliyev on the peace declaration adopted in Washington by the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia regarding the advancement of the peace agenda. Expressing his gratitude, the head of state noted the special role of U.S. President Donald Trump in the process and said the agreements reached open broad opportunities for regional development.
The sides also described Azerbaijan as a valued NATO partner, praising the contribution of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces to the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, as well as the country’s role as a regional transport and logistics hub. They recalled that Azerbaijani peacekeepers were the last to leave Afghanistan.
The delegation included the permanent representatives of Türkiye, Greece, Hungary, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Portugal and Spain to NATO, as well as the deputy permanent representatives of the United States and France.
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