NATO will create a base in Eastern Europe and will strengthen cooperation with Azerbaijan

A two-day meeting of foreign ministers of NATO countries will open in Brussels on Tuesday. According to Reuters, the participants will consider options for strengthening the troops in Eastern Europe and the establishment of permanent military bases of NATO.

On the background of the crisis in Ukraine, the alliance also intends to expand cooperation with Moldova, Armenia and Azerbaijan, according to the German magazine Der Spiegel.  The publication obtained a document about "practical measures to promote cooperation" with NATO countries. The main objective is to support partners in the region.

According to the newspaper, the opportunities to improve the compatibility   among the armies of  these states  and with the armed forces of the countries of  NATO-members will be considered -  the talk is about  joint exercises and advanced training of military personnel. A NATO Liaison Officer  will be sent to implement these tasks  in Kishinev. Cooperation with Azerbaijan in energy and cyber security  areas will strengthen;  NATO gives priority in Armenia  to training personnel of the Armed Forces of the country.

Earlier the USA and its allies said that they would not send troops to Ukraine, and tried to reassure worried partners in Eastern Europe , particularly the Baltic states, that they are well protected.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a law on the admission to the country of the armed forces of other countries, in particular EU  and NATO military, for joint exercises.

Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Adviser of the White House, told reporters that the United States will increase the group  of land and naval forces of NATO in Eastern Europe. Currently, the number of Americans working in the alliance in Eastern European countries is estimated at about 80,000.

Meanwhile, the question of Georgia and Ukraine joining  NATO probably will not  be  discussed at the meeting.  The partners will speak about possible expansion of the alliance partners at the next meeting in June.

On the eve of a meeting in Brussels, the member countries of the "Weimar Triangle" - Germany , France and Poland, have called to change the approach to EU policy towards Eastern Europe. According to Foreign Ministers of the three countries, Eastern European countries can no longer put a stark choice between the EU and Russia , according to DW.

A joint statement, made ​​on the eve says that Ukraine, Georgia , Moldova, Belarus and Azerbaijan need to be able to work closely with both the West and the East.

At the same time, members of the "Weimar Triangle" admitted that the EU underestimated Moscow's reaction to the signing of the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine, and urged colleagues to take measures to mitigate the crisis. -02D-