Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 11
Trend:
Iran supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and its fair position on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Major General Qasem Rezaee, commander of Iran’s Border Guard, said at the meeting with Azerbaijan’s defense minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov Dec. 11, Trend reports citing Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry.
Hasanov brought to the attention of the guests the military-political situation in the region, stressing that the unresolved Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict still poses a threat to regional stability.
Noting that religious, historical and cultural ties between Azerbaijan and Iran are based on good, friendly traditions, Rezaee stressed that, like in other areas, there is also great potential for cooperation between Iran and Azerbaijan in the military sphere.
During the meeting, the parties held a comprehensive exchange of views on the prospects for military cooperation between the armies of Azerbaijan and Iran, as well as other issues of mutual interest.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
