Compiled and edited by the NATO Contact Point Embassy (NATO CPE) in Azerbaijan
–October 2013 –
IN THIS EDITION:

NATO–AZERBAIJAN
- NATO SECRETARY GENERAL HAS SENT A LETTER OF CONGRATULATIONS
TO PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
- DEBRIEFING ON JEYRANCHEL DEMINING PROJECT HELD AT ROMANIAN
EMBASSY IN BAKU

REGION
NATO SECRETARY GENERAL’S STATEMENT ON OBSTACLES ALONG
ADMINISTRATIVE BOUNDARY LINES IN GEORGIA
- STATEMENT BY THE NATO SECRETARY GENERAL ON THE PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTIONS IN GEORGIA

NATO HQ
- NATO ALLIES AND PARTNERS STRESS SUPPORT FOR AFGHAN SECURITY
FORCES

NATO–AZERBAIJAN
NATO SECRETARY GENERAL HAS SENT A LETTER OF CONGRATULATIONS
TO PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has sent
a letter of congratulations to President of Azerbaijan Ilham
Aliyev. The letter says:
“Mr. President,
Let me take this opportunity to congratulate you on the
occasion of your re-election as President of the Republic of
Azerbaijan. I wish you and the people of Azerbaijan all the
very best for the future.
I look forward to continue working with you on developing the dialogue and cooperation
between NATO and Azerbaijan. I am confident that we will be able to deepen our
partnership on the basis of the democratic values enshrined in the Partnership for
Peace. NATO stands ready to support your reform efforts, including through an
ambitious Individual Partnership Action Plan.
Let me wish you full success for your new term in office and I look forward to continuing
our cooperation and dialogue”.
Source: AzerTAc, APA
Date: October 21, 2013
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 PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
DEBRIEFING ON JEYRANCHEL DEMINING PROJECT HELD AT ROMANIAN
EMBASSY IN BAKU
On October 31, 2013 Embassy of Romania to Baku (in its capacity of
NATO Contact Point Embassy in the Republic of Azerbaijan)
organized a debriefing on Jeyranchel demining project with the
participation of project officer David Towndrow from NATO Support
Agency.
NATO Special Representative for South Caucasus, William Lahue as
well as special projects manager Gvandza Kvinikadze from Georgia
also had brief presentations. The event was attended by NATO
member states Ambassadors and senior diplomats accredited in
Baku.
In his presentation, project officer David Towndrow underlined the importance of
demining project at Jeyranchel (former Soviet shooting range, with a large number of
unexploded devices) for stopping accidents among civilians as well as for regiving the
area to economic use (mainly agriculture). He mentioned demining activities are going
on according to the planned schedule, which will allow for the first phase to be finalized
in time and for the second one to be initialized in mid-2014.
Source: NATO CPE in Azerbaijan
Date: October 31, 2013
REGION
NATO SECRETARY GENERAL’S STATEMENT
ADMINISTRATIVE BOUNDARY LINES IN GEORGIA
ON
OBSTACLES
ALONG
„I note with concern the Russian Federation’s continued
activity in erecting fences and other obstacles along
administrative boundary lines within Georgia. This is in
contradiction with Russia’s international commitments and
does not contribute to a peaceful resolution of the conflict. It
has a negative impact on the situation on the ground, and it
affects the lives of those citizens of Georgia who live on either side of the administrative
boundary lines. I call for the removal of these barriers.
NATO’s position is very clear. As stated at the Chicago Summit, NATO supports the
territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia within its internationally recognized
borders. We call on Russia to reverse its recognition of the South Ossetia and Abkhazia
regions of Georgia as independent”.
Source: http://www.nato.int/
Date: October 2, 2013
STATEMENT BY THE NATO SECRETARY GENERAL ON THE PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTIONS IN GEORGIA
„I congratulate the Georgian people on holding transparent
and peaceful presidential elections in which fundamental
freedoms of expression, movement, and assembly were
respected. Through these elections, Georgia has passed yet
another test of democracy, and has taken a concrete step
towards meeting Euro-Atlantic standards. I encourage all
political forces in the country to continue working together to
achieve Georgia’s ambitious reform agenda.
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I congratulate Giorgi Margvelashvili on his victory in the elections, I wish him success
as the newly-elected President of his country, and I look forward to working with him in
his new capacity.
Georgia is a close and trusted partner of NATO. We will continue working with the new
President and his team to help Georgia achieve its Euro-Atlantic integration goals and
make the NATO-Georgia relationship even stronger”.
Source: http://www.nato.int/
Date: October 28, 2013
NATO HQ
NATO ALLIES AND PARTNERS STRESS SUPPORT FOR AFGHAN SECURITY
FORCES
NATO Allies and ISAF partners on Wednesday (23
October 2013) discussed with their Afghan counterpart
progress in Afghanistan and planning for the post-2014
mission to train, advise and assist Afghan Security Forces.
“We have moved closer to putting that mission in place.
Our military commanders have reviewed planning and
identified in broad terms the key elements we require to set
up the mission,” NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh
Rasmussen said.
Afghan forces took the lead for providing security nation-wide in June “and they have
shown that they are up to the job,” said Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen. “Currently, they
are leading more than 1,000 patrols a day. They are planning and conducting complex
operations in all parts of the country and they are developing their skills in areas such
as helicopter air support. All of this is to achieve the best possible position from which
they will assume full responsibility for security at the end of 2014,” he underlined.
The Secretary General stressed that Allies and partners will continue to stand by
Afghanistan after the ISAF mission ends in December 2014. Defence Ministers moved
ahead in their planning for the NATO-led post 2014 Resolute Support mission. “We still
have work to do,” said Mr. Fogh Rasmussen. “This includes agreeing a legal framework
with the Afghan government on the status of our forces.” He said that this sort of
framework is needed whenever and wherever NATO deploys forces. However, the
Secretary General stressed that NATO remains committed to working with our Afghan
partners on establishing the new mission. “And our plans will be further developed and
closely coordinated with the Afghan government,” Mr. Fogh Rasmussen said.
ISAF Defence Ministers also discussed next year’s elections in Afghanistan, which will
be fully led and managed by the Afghans. “We expect those elections to be transparent,
inclusive and credible,” said Mr. Fogh Rasmussen.
They also reviewed the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution
1325 on Women, Peace and Security. That review has been published. It sets out the
areas where NATO is doing well and areas where more work is needed.
The Afghan Defence Minister Bismullah Khan Mohammadi attended the meeting, as
well as representatives from the European Union and the United Nations.
Source: http://www.nato.int/
Date: October 23, 2013
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This Newsletter is compiled from the news posted on the official webpages of NATO and affiliate
Institutions, as well as of the Azerbaijani institutions, being edited by NATO Contact Point Embassy
(CPE) in Azerbaijan. The news does not express necessarily the official positions of NATO or Azerbaijan.
Within 2013-2014 years, the Embassy of Romania fulfills its third NATO CPE mandate in Azerbaijan.
Contact address: Embassy of Romania, 125A Akad. Hasan Aliyev Av., Baku, Azerbaijan, Tel: +99412/4650924, Email: [email protected].
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