BAKU, Azerbaijan, Oct.18
Trend:
Azerbaijani Defense Ministry’s Chief, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov met with the delegation led by the Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy and NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia Javier Colomina on October 18, Trend reports citing the ministry.
Hasanov informed the delegation representatives about the work done by the Azerbaijan Army in the territories liberated from Armenian occupation [in the 2020 Second Karabakh War], as well as the current situation on the Azerbaijan state border.
The minister expressed satisfaction with the current state of cooperation with NATO, and the positive results achieved in the field of cooperation, and stressed the importance of further developing relations.
Colomina said that NATO is ready to provide relevant support to ensure peace in the South Cacasus region.
The meeting parties also discussed post-war situation and other issues of mutual interest.
Following over a month of military action to liberate its territories from Armenian occupation from late Sept. to early Nov. 2020, Azerbaijan has pushed Armenia to sign the surrender document. A joint statement on the matter was made by the Azerbaijani president, Armenia's PM, and the president of Russia.
A complete ceasefire and a cessation of all hostilities in the zone of the Karabakh conflict were introduced on Nov. 10, 2020.
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, the Armenian Armed Forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.