On 25 and 26 June 2026, the NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, Ambassador Kevin Hamilton, paid his first official visit to Azerbaijan. He met with Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov, and Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov. Discussions focused on the evolution of the NATO-Azerbaijan partnership and on current regional security issues. He also gave an update on preparations for the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara.
Ambassador Hamilton underlined the importance of the South Caucasus region and Azerbaijan's role as a reliable partner to NATO. He welcomed further steps in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process as a key factor for the region's stability. He recognised the pragmatism and constructive approach of both countries. The Special Representative highlighted Azerbaijan's longstanding contributions to the Alliance - including NATO-led missions and operations - and pointed out the ongoing work to finalise an Individually Tailored Partnership Programme (ITPP) between NATO and Azerbaijan. He further welcomed Azerbaijan's contributions to Europe's energy security, as well as the support Azerbaijan provides to Ukraine.
The NATO-Azerbaijan partnership encompasses both political dialogue and practical cooperation across a range of areas, notably military interoperability, defence planning and education, and countering hybrid threats.
During his visit, the Special Representative also met with Azerbaijani foreign and security policy experts and academics.
