Azerbaijani servicemen join exercises within NATO program
By Sara Rajabova
NATO Evaluation Level 2 exercises of Azerbaijani armed forces' motorized infantry battalion kicked off in Baku on May 5.
The exercises are held as part of the Operational Capabilities Concept (OCC) in order to achieve a high level of coordination with NATO forces, Azerbaijani Defense Ministry sad.
The field exercises, held at the Garaheybet Training Center, includes about 900 soldiers of the armed forces, 100 military equipments and four helicopters.
The exercise will last until May 8 and will be evaluated in five areas by the international and national observers.
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 aspires to achieve Euro-Atlantic standards and get closer to Euro-Atlantic institutions. In this regard, supporting reform in the security sector and establishing democratic institutions are the key elements of the NATO-Azerbaijan cooperation.
The Azerbaijani peacekeeping contingent in Afghanistan doubled in 2009. Currently, some 90 Azerbaijani servicemen are serving in ISAF. A company and then a battalion of peacekeepers were established as part of the Azerbaijani armed forces in 1997.
In the past, Azerbaijan has also actively supported the NATO's operations in Kosovo.