Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia to stage military drills
By Sara Rajabova
Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia plan to hold joint military exercises in the future.
The agreement was reached at a meeting of defense ministers of the three countries in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov told journalists following the meeting.
Hasanov, Ismet Yilmaz and Irakli Alasania discussed the military-political situation in the region during the trilateral meeting on August 19.
Hasanov said the exercises aim to increase the combat capability of the armed forces.
The Azerbaijani, Turkish and Georgian defense ministers also agreed to continue tripartite meetings in the future.
"Defense ministers of the three countries also agreed to hold such meetings in this format twice a year, to organize joint workshops and conferences, to establish a tripartite format for military education and cooperation in the military-technical sphere during a meeting in Nakhchivan," Hasanov said.
The experts' meetings are planned to be organized to examine the promising areas of cooperation.
The defense ministers of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia exchanged the views on security and restoring stability in the region.
The parties also stressed the effectiveness of developing the cooperation in this format.
The three defense ministers on August 18 visited the Heydar Aliyev Museum, the alley of martyrs and a religious place called 'Ashabi-Kahf' in Nakhchivan.
Azerbaijani Defense Minister Hasanov also held bilateral meetings with his Georgian and Turkish counterparts.