20:07, 24 November 2003

Azerbaijan does not intend to join Collective Security Treaty

Novruz Mamedov, head of the Azerbaijan President's office of foreign affairs, declared on November 21 Azerbaijan did not find it possible for the county to join the Collective Security Treaty.

It is most like connected with the opinion of official Baku that Russia has too close contacts with Armenia in the military field. It should be noted that on November 19, the Azerbaijan Foreign Minister made an official protest to Russia because it "creates a military group with one of the Karabakh conflict parties," despite its being a co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, which is due to settle the problem of Nagorny Karabakh.

Source: REGNUM News Agency