Azernews.Az

Thursday March 28 2024

Turkish deputy defence chief visits Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan

1 October 2021 15:00 (UTC+04:00)
Turkish deputy defence chief visits Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan

By Vugar Khalilov

The Turkish delegation led by Deputy Defence Minister Muhsin Dere has visited Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave, the Defence Ministry reported on September 30

Chairman of the Nakhchivan Supreme Assembly Vasif Talibov expressed his satisfaction about Azerbaijani-Turkish military cooperation at the meeting with the delegation, the report added.

Speaking about joint army-building activities and drills, Talibov said that the security of Nakhchivan has been highly ensured. He thanked Turkey for its political and moral support to Azerbaijan during the 44-day war between Armenia and Azerbaijan in late 2020.

Reminding the historical roots of the two countries, Talibov stressed the successful development of the Turkish-Azerbaijani relations and the strategic partnership. He also noted the importance of the Kars Agreement (1921) and the Shusha Declaration (2021) in the development of relations.

In turn, Dere congratulated Azerbaijan on the historic victory in the 44-day war and paid tribute to the memory of the martyrs.

Furthermore, he stressed the importance of the work done in the field of army building as part of relations between the two countries and touched upon the important strategic and geographical importance of Nakhchivan.

The sides exchanged views on future prospects of cooperation.

Azerbaijan and Turkey periodically hold joint drills to improve interaction and communication between their army units.

Military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey first emerged in 1992, with an agreement signed between the Azerbaijani and Turkish governments on military education and weapon equipment and deals to help strengthen the bond between the two nations.

On June 15, the two countries signed a memorandum of alliance that cemented the existing military, political and economic cooperation.

The Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations that President Ilham Aliyev and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed during the first official visit to Shusha eight months after Azerbaijan’s victory in the war with Armenia, also focuses on defence cooperation.

It affirms joint efforts by the two armies in the face of foreign threats. The declaration also pledges joint efforts for the restructuring and modernization of the armed forces. Moreover, the two nations affirm to encourage the execution of joint projects with the aim of developing capabilities in the field of sea, air, and space.

In an interview with Turkey's Anadolu Agency on September 27, President Ilham Aliyev said that the signing of the Shusha Declaration raised bilateral relations to an even higher level.

The Kars agreement, signed between Turkey and the Soviet Union in 1921, established the borders between Turkey and the three Transcaucasian republics of the Soviet Union, which are now the independent republics of Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

Loading...
Latest See more