AZERBAIJAN - Diplomacy
Secretary General, NATO
Bio
Anders Fogh Rasmussen studied Economics at the University of Aarhus, graduating with a MSc in 1978. In the same year, he became member of the Danish Parliament, representing the Liberal Party. He has held numerous positions in government and throughout his political career. From 1987 to 1992, he was Minister for Taxation and Minister for Economic Affairs in the Conservative-Liberal coalition government from 1990 to 1992. From 1992 to 1998, he was spokesman for the Liberal Party and Vice-Chairman of the Parliament’s Economic and Political Affairs Committee from 1993 to 1998. After the parliamentary elections in 2001, he formed a coalition consisting of the Liberal Party and the Conservative People’s Party. His government was re-elected in 2005 and 2007 respectively, and he held the position as Prime Minister until he was elected NATO Secretary General at the Strasbourg-Kehl Summit in April 2009.
NATO and Azerbaijan have recently taken important steps to deepen our partnership further. Azerbaijan has committed stronger and longer contributions to the international peace effort in Afghanistan, which NATO is leading. And for our part, NATO is also looking at ways that we can do more together. In fact, the depth of our cooperation might surprise those who have not been following NATO’s evolution. Of course, many people know the basics of NATO. For over six decades, NATO has united democratic nations from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Today, we have 28 allies committed to defend not only our shared security, but also our common values: freedom, democracy, and human rights. We operate under a firm principle: all for one, and one for all. That means that if one ally is threatened, all the other allies will come to its defense.
NATO will continue to build on the success of working with our partners to deepen the understanding and trust that we have built together over the past two decades and to consolidate the invaluable practical experience that our military forces have gained by working together in Afghanistan and in other NATO-led missions and operations. We are determined to work more closely with our partners, including those in this region. We need partners who share our desire for security and our values. In this respect, we encourage Azerbaijan to pursue democratic reforms in certain areas such as elections and free media, which will first and foremost benefit the country. I also believe that there is more we can do together when we it comes to practical cooperation. I believe that this is a two-way street with benefits for NATO and all of its partners.
The NATO-Azerbaijan partnership gives the country access to a unique security forum—a seat at the table, where it can address vital security concerns such as Afghanistan, allies, and partners. My aim is to have more of such discussions on a broader range of current and new security challenges, such as energy security and cyber defense. Our partnership also supports Azerbaijan’s reforms, especially in defense, where it is developing a modern and accountable military force that is relevant to today’s security challenges and able to play its part in multinational operations. Much of our cooperation is focused on military-to-military exercises, such as training and education. We are also deepening our cooperation on energy and cyber security. This might seem far away from the needs of average people, but we also do things together that may have more tangible benefits. For example, NATO and the Azerbaijan Mine Agency have removed large quantities of land mines from the soil in this country. Half a million unexploded munitions have been defused. This is one of the biggest projects of this nature in the world, and our work is freeing up hundreds of hectares of land for agriculture and development. Those remnants from the past have endangered lives. Now, people can walk, farm, and open businesses on that land. This project is literally “paving the way” to a better future, and I might add that the Azerbaijani agency is now helping with de-mining in other countries, including Afghanistan.
However, this region still faces great security challenges. Azerbaijan has a complicated neighborhood and the most pressing regional challenge remains finding a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict. Two things are clear. First, there is no military solution. Second, the only way forward is through dialogue, compromise, and cooperation. NATO as an organization is not involved directly in finding a solution to this conflict, nor do we take sides, but we will continue to support the Minsk Process and efforts toward a peaceful settlement. There must be no return to conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Tensions in this region must be reduced, and concrete steps must be taken to promote reasonable cooperation and reconciliation.
Azerbaijan is an important partner for NATO and we have already achieved a great deal together. We have an opportunity to do much more to solidify our long-term partnership, strengthen our political dialogue and practical corporation, and hopefully contribute to a better and more peaceful future for this region where trust and trade is restored, borders are opened, and the people of this country and region can truly benefit from its huge strategic potential.
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