NATO calls Armenia and Azerbaijan to return to negotiations and work  in direction of peace settlement

ArmInfo.On February 27, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan in NATO Headquarters discussed the current challenges in the field of security and partnership.

As the Alliance's press service told ArmInfo, The Secretary General 

thanked Armenia for its contributions to NATO's missions in 

Afghanistan and Kosovo. He stressed that the Alliance is committed to 

working with Armenia and other partners. "Together, we are developing 

a new Individual Partnership Action Plan, tailored to your needs and 

requirements," said Mr. Stoltenberg. He added that there are 

opportunities for further cooperation on interoperability, defence 

reform and defence education. The Secretary General praised Armenia 

for its participation in NATO's Building Integrity Programme to 

counter corruption in the armed forces, and its progress on 

implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 to promote the role 

of women in peace and security.

The Secretary General and President Sargsyan also discussed the 

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Mr.  Stoltenberg expressed concern over 

the continuing violence along the line of contact. "It is important 

to avoid escalation, because there is no military solution to this 

conflict and its persistence is holding back the region," he said. 

NATO encourages both Armenia and Azerbaijan to return to the 

negotiating table and work toward a peaceful resolution to the 

conflict.