Assistant Director of Department of Cooperation and Regional Security of the NATO International Military Headquarters, Spanish Major General Federico Yaniz has arrived in Baku to discuss the issue of participation of the Armenian military in Cooperative Best Effort-2004 military exercises to be held in the territory of Azerbaijan, a reliable source in the NATO headquarters in Brussels told Mediamax agency. According to the source, in the course of the talks in Baku Federico Yaniz intends to ensure that the Azeri authorities will not impede participation of the Armenian military both in the maneuvers and preparatory measures to be held in Azerbaijan. February 3 the NATO high rank representative met with Azeri defense minister Safar Abiyev. As reported by Baku media, Abiyev "regretted that international structures do not consider Armenia an invader," stating that "the NATO cannot have a neutral stance in the issue and should put pressure upon Armenia." It should be reminded that January 13 the Azeri authorities did not admit Armenian officers to participation in a Baku conference on planning the Cooperative Best Effort-2004 maneuvers to be held within the NATO Partnership for Peace program.