Azerbaijan, Afghanistan mull military ties
By Sara Rajabova
Azerbaijan’s Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov has met Afghan
ambassador Mohammad Taqi Khalili.
Hasanov said the meetings of heads of state played an important
role in developing relations between Azerbaijan and
Afghanistan,AzerTac state news agency reported..
He hailed the bilateral relations in military field as
successful.
On regional military-political situation, the minister said Armenia
continued its occupation policy, delaying the peace process and
negotiations which negatively influences the regional
stability.
Khalili, in turn, said Azerbaijan and Afghanistan supported each
other in international organizations.
He thanked Azerbaijani servicemen for their contributions to the peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan.
The mission of the armed forces in Afghanistan began on November 20, 2002. 94 Azerbaijani militants, 2 military doctors and 2 officers on engineering still participate in the peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan.
The Azerbaijani peacekeeping contingent in Afghanistan doubled in 2009. A company and then a battalion of peacekeepers were established as part of the Azerbaijani armed forces in 1997.
In the past, Azerbaijan has also actively supported the NATO's operations in Kosovo.
Azerbaijan is among the eight partner countries that have confirmed their presence in Afghanistan after 2014.
Azerbaijan has decided to broaden its activities in Afghanistan's non-military areas. Real cooperation began with Afghan specialists' training in mine sweeping. The preparatory works are underway on Azerbaijani military doctors' activity in Afghan hospitals, education of Afghan people at medical universities, participation of medical personnel in Azerbaijan's educational courses, Afghan military personnel's participation in educational courses at the military academy and other military schools, and Afghan students' education in Azerbaijan.
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