Iran Press/ Asia: The joint chief of staff of Iran's armed forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri and the Republic of Azerbaijan's prime minister held a meeting on Thursday, the second day of arrival of the Iranian General to Baku.
According to an Iran Press report, at the meeting, Azerbaijan's prime minister, Mammadov underlined expansion of military and defensive relations with Iran.
Mammadov expressed satisfaction over military and defensive cooperation between the two countries, and said: "Our country supports every action which would lead to consolidation of defense ties between the two nations."
General Bagheri for his part said that current level of ties between the two countries does not match existing capacities, so the two sides should develop and expand their relations further.
Major General Bagheri arrived on Wednesday morning at the invitation of Azerbaijan's Defense Minister Zakir Hassanov to pay a two-day visit to the neighbouring country.
The Iranian military delegation has met with President Ilham Aliyev, Parliament Speaker Ogtay Asadov and Defense Minister Zakir Hassanov during its 2-day stay in Baku and the prospects for developing military ties between the two countries were examined.
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During the meeting Bagheri and Hassanov signed a military cooperation protocol to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries in military and military-technical fields.
After the meeting, the two military officials talked to reporters and explained to them what they had discussed in their meeting.
The chief of general staff of Iranian armed forces expressed his appreciation for the warm hospitality of the Azeri defense minister, saying during the meeting, they explored ways of expanding bilateral cooperation.
"Iran always supports Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and is interested in a prompt peaceful settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh dispute," General Mohammad Bagheri told reporters in Baku.
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Bagheri added that Iran also wants the occupied territories to be returned to Azerbaijan and the problem of refugees and internally displaced people to be solved.
General Baqeri further said Iran decisively supports territorial integrity of Azerbaijan Republic.
He pointed to signed Caspian Sea Legal Regime between littoral states, and added that Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan have no problem in this regard and naval forces of the two states are to hold joint exercises in the Caspian Sea.
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Iran's top commander also met with Speaker of Azerbaijan's National Assembly (Milli Majlis) Ogtay Asadov on Wednsday Jan. 16.
In the meeting, Speaker of the Azerbaijan's National Assembly said that Azerbaijan and Iran enjoy friendly, fraternal and close neighbourly relations.
"Our common history, culture and religion pave the way for further deepening of bilateral relations between the two countries," added Asadov.
Speaker Asadov expressed his confidence that Mohammad Bagheri’s first visit to Azerbaijan as Chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces will contribute to the development of the Azerbaijani-Iranian relations.
He mentioned that the reciprocal visits and meetings of the heads of state contribute to upgrading bilateral relations between the two countries.
He also underlined the importance of visits of government officials and representatives of law-enforcement bodies in this regard.
Describing the inter-parliamentary relations between the two countries as satisfactory, Asadov hailed the activities of the inter-parliamentary friendship groups.
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