Azerbaijan, Afghanistan eye military cooperation, regional security
By Vafa Ismayilova
Azerbaijani Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov and Afghan ambassador Amanullah Jayhoon have discussed prospects for the development of military cooperation and regional security, the Defence Ministry reported on July 15.
At the meeting, Hasanov stressed the role of the Azerbaijani and Afghan leaders in ensuring the development of relations between the two countries. He underlined the successful continuation of bilateral relations in the military sphere.
The minister spoke about the Azerbaijani servicemen's participation in the NATO-led Resolute Support Non-Combat Mission in Afghanistan. He noted that apart from the transport and logistics support to Afghanistan, Azerbaijan contributed to the NATO mission by providing multimodal transit, training, and financial assistance to the Afghan National Army Trust Fund under President Ilham Aliyev's instruction.
Hasanov reiterated Afghanistan's open position supporting Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and thanked the country for its support.
Ambassador Jayhoon said that he would make every effort for the development of the Azerbaijani-Afghan relationship, in particular for cooperation in the military sphere. He thanked the Azerbaijani servicemen for their contribution to the peacekeeping mission conducted in Afghanistan.
He stressed the importance of training Afghan servicemen in special military and educational institutions of the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry under an agreement signed between the two countries' defence ministries.
Earlier in June, the Afghan ambassador described Azerbaijan as an important link in ensuring peace in Afghanistan.
Moreover, NATO Parliamentary Assembly Security and Defence Commission member Raimonds Bergmanis said that Azerbaijan has been supporting peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan since 2002 and NATO is grateful to it for that.
--
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz