On April 20, Acting Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan Colonel General Zakir Hasanov has met with the delegation led by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), General Curtis Scaparotti.
Colonel General Z. Hasanov, noting the development of military relations with the North Atlantic Alliance, spoke about military cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO, including the activities of the Azerbaijan Army within the framework of various NATO programs, as well as the contribution of Azerbaijan to the NATO-led non-combat "Resolute Support" mission in Afghanistan.
Touching upon the military-political situation in the region, Colonel General Z. Hasanov stressed the importance of resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and the norms of international law.
Colonel General Z. Hasanov noted that the visits of representatives of the separatist regime in Nagorno-Karabakh to various foreign states, including the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries, and their receptions in these countries, leads to double standards in settlement of the conflict, which is unacceptable.
Colonel General Z. Hasanov, highly appreciating NATO's position on the supporting territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, expressed confidence that the Alliance will continue its efforts in this issue.
Speaking about the cases of smuggling of nuclear components from Armenia, Colonel General Z. Hasanov stressed that this is becoming a serious security threat not only in the region but also on an even larger scale.
Noting that our country pursues a peaceful policy and is continuously fighting against terrorism, Colonel General Z. Hasanov also brought to the attention of the guest that some states impose unjustified restrictions on the sale of weapons to Azerbaijan.
General C. Scaparotti in turn, especially noting that Azerbaijan is a reliable partner of Alliance, highly appreciated the participation of our country in the fight against terrorism, the significant contribution in providing airspace to cargo transportation for peacekeeping operations, including the high level of professionalism of Azerbaijani peacekeepers in Afghanistan.
The guest has expressed his gratitude to the leadership of Azerbaijan for assistance in holding in Baku a bilateral meeting with the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.