Azerbaijan named strategic partner of NATO
By Nigar Orujova
Romanian Embassy in Azerbaijan celebrated the 10th anniversary of Romanian membership in NATO on April 2.
Opening the ceremony, Romanian ambassador to Azerbaijan and NATO coordinator in Baku Daniel Cristian Ciobanu welcomed the guests and said Romanian accession to NATO was a result of consistent efforts. He added that the membership was a milestone in modern history of Romania.
He noted that the membership is important not just for Romania but also for Bulgaria, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia and Slovenia because 10 years ago they all joined NATO, which increased stability and helped consolidate the profile of NATO.
"In NATO, Romania pays special attention to developing partnership with European countries and other countries," he said.
"From this point of view, cooperation with Azerbaijan is of great importance for Romania. Azerbaijan is a strategic partner of NATO," Ciobanu said.
He also expressed gratefulness for the support that Azerbaijan gives to NATO in Afghanistan in terms of troops' deployment, transit facilitation and financial help.
Ciobanu also highlighted the cooperation in energy security, and expressed hope that cooperation will increase in the future.
"This year is an important year for NATO as we will have a summit in Wales, UK, in September, and Azerbaijan will play a very important role at this summit," he stressed.
The NATO and Azerbaijan are actively cooperating on democratic, institutional, and military reforms, and enjoy practical cooperation in various areas.
The cooperation plan between Azerbaijan and the NATO is set out in the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) on Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan is among the eight partner countries that have confirmed their presence in Afghanistan after 2014. Peacekeepers of the country will stay in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country by the end of 2014. However, Azerbaijan will reduce its presence in Afghanistan after 2014.