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NATO once again recognized Azerbaijanâ€™s territorial integrity - UPDATED

NATO once again recognized Azerbaijanâ€™s territorial integrity - <font color=red>UPDATED </font>

20 November 2010 19:12 (UTC +04:00)

According to the provision 35 of the Declaration, the Alliance has once again confirmed recognition of Azerbaijanâ€™s territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty.

â€œWith our vision of a Euro-Atlantic area at peace, the persistence of protracted regional conflicts in South Caucasus and the Republic of Moldova continues to be a matter of great concern for the Alliance. We urge all parties to engage constructively and with reinforced political will in peaceful conflict resolution, and to respect the current negotiation formats. We call on them all to avoid steps that undermine regional security and stability. We remain committed in our support of the territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova, and will also continue to support efforts towards a peaceful settlement of these regional conflicts, taking into account these principlesâ€.

Of note, as the NATO Summit Declaration recognizes Azerbaijanâ€™s territorial integrity, Armenia generally displayed incompliance against adoption of the document in such manner.

Weâ€™d remind that NATO Summits held in 1994, 2006, 2008 and 2009 supported Azerbaijanâ€™s territorial integrity as well.

After the last Strasbourg-Kehl Summit of the organization, the NATO member-states supported Azerbaijanâ€™s territorial integrity, it enforced Armenia to make serious diplomatic efforts, for this purpose the Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan paid visit to NATO headquarters in Brussels in May of the current year.

In the press conference, held together with the NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the Armenian president openly called on NATO not to support Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

In addition, S. Sargsyan called on NATO to military intervention, if Azerbaijan starts the military actions.

However, notwithstanding Armenia’s ongoing for a long time efforts in this direction, NATO member-states have confirmed today the recognition of Azerbaijanâ€™s territorial integrity and sovereignty again.

The Alliance countries gave support even in 1994, according to the principles of the Partnership for Peace document, adopted in that year, the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Azerbaijan, which is considered to be an active partner, was supported.

NATO diplomatic sources reported to APA that member-states had disapproved Armenian president’s refusal to attend the Lisbon summit.