The NATO is for the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, the NATO Secretary General's special representative for Central Asia and South Caucasus Robert Simmons said in a statement on 19 November in Baku at the meeting with the students of the Baku State University. According to him, the NATO is not a party involved in this conflict, therefore, the structure he represents "only follows the peace process within the OSCE Minsk Group". «We are confident the Minsk Group will be able to find the solution shortly," he said. Touching upon the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline security, the NATO special representative stated, that the Alliance is interested in this issue. Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey want to secure the pipeline safety and this is actual. «Therefore, all three states must apply joint efforts in this respect", Simmons said. The NATO special representative also underscored, that the way to NATO for Azerbaijan is open.