Iran's defense minister pays visit to Baku
By Sara Rajabova
Iran’s Defense Minister, Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan arrived in Baku on April 20 with an official visit to discuss bilateral military cooperation with Azerbaijani officials.
The visit took place at the official invitation of Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov, Azerbaijan’s defense minister.
The Iranian minister is set to hold talks with several high-ranking Azerbaijani political-defensive officials on issues of mutual interests, regional and international developments during his visit to the country.
Before his visit, Dehqan said Iran is seeking to promote defense and military cooperation with Azerbaijan, IRNA news agency reported.
Dehqan expressed hope that Tehran and Baku would pave the way for implementation of agreement of bilateral defense cooperation..
Azerbaijan’s defense minister visited Tehran last April and discussed military cooperation issues with Iranian officials.
Iran and Azerbaijan have had diplomatic relations since 1918. Iran recognized Azerbaijan's independence in 1991, and diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1992.
Tehran has in recent years focused seriously on developing ties with neighboring countries, including Azerbaijan which enjoys various commonalities with Iran -- religious, historical and cultural.
Currently, the two countries are focused on expanding their economic ties, developing cooperation in various fields -- industry, agriculture, energy, alternative energy and transportation.
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Sara Rajabova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on
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