Baku, September 21, AZERTAC

First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva has met with a delegation led by Deputy Secretary General of NATO Rose Gottemoeller.

First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva noted that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to cooperation with NATO, adding that the country attends various meetings of the Alliance. She underlined that Azerbaijani peacekeepers have been serving in Afghanistan shoulder to shoulder with NATO servicemen since 2002, saying that in January 2018, Azerbaijan increased the number of its servicemen in the Resolute Support mission by 30 per cent, bringing them to 120 people. “Our country also provides financial support to the Afghan national army and assistance in addressing logistical and transport problems, and organizes trainings for the personnel of the Afghan army,” the First Vice-President said.

Hailing the successful development of high-level dialogue between NATO and Azerbaijan, Mehriban Aliyeva noted that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s participation in the NATO Summit in Brussels this July and his meeting with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg contributed to the development of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and the organization. The First Vice-President said Azerbaijan highly appreciates NATO member states’ unequivocal support for its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Mehriban Aliyeva also emphasized that Azerbaijan lauds NATO’s great attention to gender issues, and the issues relating to women, peace and security. “We are very happy that a conference on this issue has recently been held in Azerbaijan,” said the First Vice-President, adding that gender equality is one of the key priorities of state policy in Azerbaijan. She said that one of the steps taken by the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic 100 years ago was granting women the right to vote. "We are proud that at the beginning of the twentieth century the Azerbaijani women achieved this equality before a number of developed countries,” she said. Mehriban Aliyeva pointed out that the Azerbaijani women have been actively involved in the country’s public and political life after the restoration of independence. She noted that 17 per cent of the members of parliament in Azerbaijan are women, expressing her hope that the figure will increase in the future. The First Vice-President noted that 1600 women are serving in the Azerbaijani army along with men. She underlined that women in Azerbaijan have enjoyed great respect for centuries, adding that this tradition lives on.

First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva emphasized that Azerbaijan is a peaceful country, which built relations with its neighbors and other countries on the basis of mutual respect. “However, it is for 25 years that we have been suffering from Armenia's policy of aggression. As a result of this policy the internationally recognized territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and its seven surrounding districts have been occupied, more than one million people have become refugees and IDPs, hundreds of Azerbaijani women have been killed and captured during the conflict, and over 600 people, including women and children were brutally murdered during the Khojaly tragedy,” Mehriban Aliyeva said. The First Vice-President mentioned that although the UN security Council adopted four resolutions on immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian occupying forces from the Azerbaijani territories 25 years ago, this policy of occupation still continues. Noting that Azerbaijan wants the conflict to be solved in a just manner in accordance with the norms and principles of international law, First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva said Azerbaijan's territorial integrity must be restored, the refugees must return to their homelands, and only then peace will be established in the region. "Peace, security are the factors that ensure mutual understanding among peoples," said the First Vice-President, adding that NATO's humanitarian activity is highly praised in Azerbaijan and that the country is ready to work closely with the organization in this field.

You can rest assured that we have taken notes of your statements for ourselves, said Deputy Secretary General of NATO Rose Gottemoeller. She expressed their satisfaction with the visits to Azerbaijan. Rose Gottemoeller noted that "Women, Peace and Security" conference in Baku coincides with remarkable days for the country as it celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Azerbaijani parliament. She also spoke of the beauty of Baku, and hailed the country’s achievements.