US expert: Azerbaijan demonstrated commitment to principles and values behind NAM

The reason Azerbaijan's chairmanship at the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) was extended was due to both its clear dedication to NAM's main priorities and its implementation, Irina Tsukerman, the US-based expert and analyst, told Report.

The implementation of NAM's priorities takes NAM to a responsive alternative to the failings of other international bodies that brings countries together through multilateral actions on issues that benefit humanity and address shortcomings and injustices in a constructive way, she said.

"On a practical level, Azerbaijan's leadership helped create a database to address humanitarian needs for the other members of NAM. This matters for two reasons - it has created a pathway for efficient cooperation, transparency, and accountability in addressing the direst needs, and second, it has helped move the discussion forward to results, which is often difficult in international fora, particularly involving large numbers of countries. This is illustrative of the results-oriented direction Azerbaijan is taking overall," added Tsukerman.

Furthermore, Azerbaijan is leading by example in donating towards the needs of other member states and by pushing for access to vaccines by poor countries.

She also highlighted the speech of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev at a high-level jubilee event in Belgrade dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the NAM: "President Aliyev, in his speech, demonstrated Azerbaijan's leadership with respect to effective management of practical matters as well as its commitment to principles and values behind NAM".

On a broader level, President Aliyev noted Baku's commitment to the underlying principles of the NAM, including sovereignty and territorial integrity, and used Azerbaijan's victory and peace process following the Second Karabakh War as an example of the proportional and legal handling of external aggression that falls squarely within the framework supported by NAM, concluded she.