From news.az:   Excerpt from interview with Alexandros Petersen, non-resident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Dino Patriciu Eurasia Center. 

Do you view Azerbaijan as a NATO member in the nearest perspective?

In the short-term, Azerbaijan will not be a NATO member for two reasons: the Alliance is wary of extending full membership to the South Caucasus countries due to concerns over conflicts in the region and Russia’s reaction, and two, because it is not explicit Azerbaijani policy to become a full NATO member. It would be a great accomplishment for NATO and Azerbaijan if Azerbaijan eventually became a member, but this will be down the road. In the meantime, Azerbaijan should continue its NATO-related military and governance reforms.   (photo: AP)

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