"The main task of a NATO Contact Point Embassy is to support NATO’s partnership activities and outreach efforts in – and in close cooperation with – the host country," Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic Juraj Blanar said in an exclusive interview with APA.
"For example, we have facilitated several visits from NATO Headquarters and the NATO Liaison Office in Georgia (with a regional South Caucasus mandate). As Contact Point Embassies together with Sweden we have organized a several public diplomacy events for university students and representatives of civil society where we have shared information about NATO-Azerbaijan cooperation and activities conducted by NATO Mobile Training Teams in Azerbaijan as well," Minister of Foreign Affairs highlighted.
He said that Azerbaijan, despite not being interested to be a NATO member is an important Alliance partner - it brings practical input to operational missions, such as ISAF, which helps relieve pressure on NATO's mission in the region.
Azerbaijan is showing increased interest in approaching NATO standards, is interested in a range of programs, including educational, capacity building, energy security, combating hybrid warfare, and cooperation in the field of science."
According to Juraj Blanar following the agreements signed during Prime Minister Robert Fico's visit to Azerbaijan on May 7 last year, our military-technical and defence cooperation has intensified significantly: "This is evidenced by the very high frequency of visits to Azerbaijan by senior defence officials as well as working-level expert groups, demonstrating the practical implementation of our commitments."
According to Foreign Minister, Azerbaijan has valuable practical experience with certain weapons systems and military equipment that are also part of our armed forces' arsenal: "This creates natural opportunities for exchanging experiences, best practices, and technical knowledge. Moreover, Azerbaijan's defence industry has developed considerably, and Slovakia sees potential opportunities for procurement cooperation in specific areas."
Slovakia has historically maintained a very strong defence industry with significant technical expertise and production capabilities. Therefore, there is genuine mutual interest in cooperation where both sides have something valuable to offer. This reciprocal approach ensures that our defence partnership is balanced and mutually beneficial, combining Azerbaijan's operational experience and growing defence capabilities with Slovakia's established industrial and technical strengths.
We see great potential for further developing this cooperation in the coming period, including possibilities for joint projects and reciprocal procurement arrangements.
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