Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov received Kazakh Ambassador Amangeldy Zhumabaev on January 16.

The sides discussed cooperation between the two countries in the military sphere, activity aimed at strengthening mutual trust and the contribution made by the countries in the sphere of regional security, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said.

With regards to the military-political situation in the region, Hasanov stressed that the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the main threat to stability in the region.

He stressed the importance of solving the conflict in accordance with international law and UN Security Council's relevant resolutions.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since a lengthy war in the early 1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions.

The UN Security Council has passed four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but they have not been enforced to this day.

For his part, Zhumabaev said the relations between the two countries are based on historical roots, as well as good neighborliness and brotherhood.

He said as Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have common positions in the economic, political and military spheres, they are also important partners on the Caspian Sea.

The sides exchanged views on Azerbaijani- Kazakh military relations and other issues of mutual interest.

Kazakh military attaché to Azerbaijan and Colonel Almaz Bazarbayev attended the meeting.