President Ilham Aliyev received a delegation from NATO, which included permanent representatives of Turkey, Greece, Hungary, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Portugal, and Spain, as well as the deputy permanent representatives of the United States and France to the alliance.
According to Azerbaijan.US, the visit was viewed as a significant step in advancing Azerbaijan–NATO cooperation. Turkey’s Permanent Representative to NATO Basat Öztürk emphasized the importance of the meeting, recalling President Aliyev’s previous visits to NATO headquarters and noting Azerbaijan’s achievements under his leadership.
The delegation congratulated President Aliyev on the recent diplomatic progress in Washington toward normalizing relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Expressing gratitude, President Aliyev highlighted the key role of U.S. President Donald Trump in facilitating these negotiations, saying the agreements reached “open wide opportunities for the development of the region.”
The Azerbaijani leader also underlined that, beyond cooperation in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan and NATO now focus on regional development, energy security, and defense modernization.
He noted that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces are being aligned with NATO standards, through close coordination with the Turkish military, and reaffirmed his commitment to continuing the country’s defense reforms.
“We have achieved our main national goal – the liberation of our lands from occupation,” Aliyev said, adding that the modernization of Azerbaijan’s army would continue.
The meeting also recognized Azerbaijan as a valuable NATO partner, commending its contributions to the Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan and its role as a regional transport and logistics hub. It was recalled that Azerbaijani peacekeepers were among the last to leave Afghanistan, marking the end of the mission.
Since 1994, Azerbaijan has actively participated in NATO’s Partnership for Peace program. Discussions at the meeting covered the future of Azerbaijan–NATO cooperation and included an exchange of views on regional and global developments.
