Washington, Baku discuss military cooperation

By Azernews

By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Defense Minister Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov met with newly appointed U.S. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Earle Litzenberger.

Hasanov noted that at the time when some leading states and international organizations in some conflict cases put pressure on the parties to the conflict, double standards are applied to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Hasanov congratulated the Ambassador on his appointment and expressed confidence in the further expansion of Azerbaijani-American relations during his diplomatic activities in the country.

Noting that relations between Azerbaijan and the United States lined up within the framework of NATO programs and on a bilateral basis, he brought to the attention the importance of developing cooperation in the military, military-technical and military-educational fields.

Touching upon the military-political situation in the region, Colonel-General Hasanov stressed the continuation of the aggressor policy of Armenia.

He noted that despite the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, Yerevan was deliberately delaying peace talks.

In turn, Litzenberger stressed that the United States recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and treats it with respect, the American diplomat noted that his country is a supporter of a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

He added that this is also important in terms of development and security of the South Caucasus.

Noting the strategic importance of cooperation between the United States and Azerbaijan, the ambassador brought to the attention that he was following the reforms carried out in the Azerbaijani army and appraised the successes achieved in this area.

Regarding military cooperation between the two countries, Litzenberger expressed satisfaction with the participation of Azerbaijani peacekeepers in the mission carried out in Afghanistan.

Then the parties discussed aspects of regional and bilateral cooperation, the security of the Caspian Sea and important strategic infrastructures, the fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the organization of mutual visits by specialists in military education, as well as a number of other issues of interest.