AZERBAIJAN INTENDS TO BECOME NATO ASSOCIATE MEMBER

Today chairman of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Rafael Estrella arrived in Baku with a three-day visit. The meetings with President Heydar Aliyev and milli mejlis chairman Murtuz Aleskerov are planned. The perspectives of the development of the cooperation between Azerbaijan and the NATO, including the joining of the country the NATO as an associate member will be discussed at the talks. It is assumed the joining of Azerbaijan the NATO will be realized in three stages. During the first stage Baku will receive the observer status, during the second one it will receive the associate member status, after that the issue on full membership in alliance will be raised.