Armenia's controversial policy in region should be kept in limelight
By Mushvig Mehdiyev
Trilateral meeting of the Azerbaijani, Georgian and Turkish defense ministers in Tbilisi has come as the next move to improve military cooperation between the regional neighbors.
Following the April 2 meeting behind closed doors, Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Zakir Hasanov said he highlighted existing threats in the region during the talks.
"I have noted that Armenia continues its occupation policy against Azerbaijan and destroys our cultural, and historical monuments. Besides that, I reminded that Yerevan also voices territorial claims against all three countries, and such controversial issues should be kept under strict focus," he said.
Hasanov highly appreciated the meeting, underlining its importance also in terms of discussing significant regional issues.
"We gave very important messages in the light of developing the armed forces during the meeting. Moreover, this cooperation is of great significance from the economic, political and security points of view," he said.
Hasanov added that the three states also plan to realize mutual exchange of knowledge and experience in the field of education.
Georgian Defense Minister, Mindia Janelidze, in turn, said the meeting was fruitful and that the negotiations would serve to strengthen and develop mutual cooperation.
"Our meetings usually open new collaboration opportunities and intensifies existing friendly ties," he said.
Janelidze also appealed to his Turkish and Azerbaijani counterparts to view the Summer Mountain Training Course at the Sachkhere Mountain Training School as a trilateral exercise that will bring together Georgian, Turkish and Azerbaijani military.
The nascent military rapprochement in between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey has been initiated to unite efforts towards the establishment of a peaceful environment in the South Caucasus region, as it faces territorial conflicts.
Turkish Defense Minister, Ismet Yildiz announced that the next trilateral sitting will be held in Turkey.
The first tripartite meeting of the three country's defense ministers held in Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan region on August 19, 2014, where the latest military-political situation and the regional security were at the forefront of the talks.
Assessing the Nakhcvivan meeting, Hasanov has then said he agreed with his counterparts to work on "trilateral exercises in view of enhancing the combat capability of the armed forces and achieving a mutual understanding during joint military operations." The organization of joint seminars and conferences, the cooperation in military education, the development of military technology, and the exercises for the protection of oil and gas pipelines were the main spheres the ministers shook hands on.
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