Azerbaijan is respected for the stability of its political course and considered an essential negotiating platform, Russian expert Yevgeny Mikhailov said. He was commenting on the upcoming meeting in Baku between Chief of Russian General Staff General of the Army Valery Gerasimov and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of NATO in Europe Tod Wolters.
"First of all, the next Baku meeting of the head of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov with the NATO leadership represented by Tod Walters indicates that the leading countries trust Azerbaijan as a negotiating platform for solving global issues. Unequivocal confidence means a lot. Above all is that the world recognizes the republic for its neutrality. Accordingly, the country is respected for the stability of its political course, which is such a rare thing in our world," Mikhailov said.
He added that Azerbaijan's neutrality and non-participation in any military blocs make Baku an ideal venue for holding such a meeting.
"In recent years, Azerbaijan has proven its ability to promote its interests independently, and this has caused unconditional respect on the part of countries that have entrusted the organization of meetings at this level to this country," Mikhailov said.
Speaking about the participation of Azerbaijani peacekeepers in various NATO missions, the expert noted that Moscow only welcomes such actions.
"Thus, Baku assumes part of the burden of responsibility for what is happening in the world and shows its independence in making political decisions. We speak with such a country on equal terms, and Russia is impressed by this since it has long been supporting a multipolar world," he added.