Cooperation between NATO and countries of the South Caucasus is conducted strictly on a needs-based and voluntary basis, with each state retaining the sovereign right to independently determine its domestic and foreign policy priorities, says Alexander Vinnikov, Head of the NATO Liaison Office in Georgia.
In an interview with Azerbaijani media, Vinnikov stressed that NATO’s engagement in the region is neither imposed nor driven by external pressure, but rather initiated at the request of partner countries and implemented only with the consensus of all NATO allies.
“Every nation has the right to freely determine its domestic and foreign policies without external interference,” Vinnikov said. “NATO’s cooperation with all three South Caucasus countries is based on a needs-driven approach and is carried out exclusively at the request of our partners.”
He underlined that the Alliance does not coerce cooperation or seek to expand its presence unilaterally. “NATO does not impose itself in any way,” Vinnikov noted. “Our role is to listen carefully to our partners and respond to their requests for support where possible.”
He claimed that NATO’s engagement focuses on practical cooperation areas where the Alliance can offer tangible expertise and added value, including defence reforms, capacity building, interoperability, crisis management, and resilience.
“We listen attentively to our partners’ requests for support and, in the spirit of partnership and cooperative security, we strive to respond as effectively as possible in areas that reflect our partners’ needs and where NATO can genuinely contribute,” Vinnikov said.
He also emphasized that cooperation with partners in the South Caucasus plays a meaningful role in strengthening security and stability not only in the immediate neighbourhood, but across the wider Euro-Atlantic area.
“We firmly believe that cooperation with our partners in the South Caucasus makes a significant contribution to security and stability in our shared neighbourhood and more broadly across the transatlantic space,” Vinnikov concluded.
NATO maintains tailored partnerships with Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, with cooperation frameworks varying according to each country’s priorities, political choices, and level of engagement with the Alliance.
