The delegation led by the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov is paying an official visit to Beijing at the invitation of Colonel General Wei Fenghe, the Member of State Council of the People’s Republic of China, Minister of Defense of the People's Republic of China.
After the official welcoming ceremony for the Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan at the Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China, Ministers of Defense of the two countries held a meeting on April 27.
W. Fenghe noted that despite the remoteness of China and Azerbaijan from a geographical point of view, our peoples had friendly relations from time immemorial. He also stressed the important role of the historic Silk Road in the creation of these relations.
Speaking about the diplomatic relations between the two countries established 26 years ago, which are developing now, the Chinese minister added that over the past period our cooperation in various fields has expanded, and mutual trust has strengthened sufficiently.
W. Fenghe noted with satisfaction the creation of new opportunities for cooperation between our countries within the framework of the "One Belt and One Way" initiative and the huge support of Azerbaijan for this strategy.
Touching upon the cooperation of the two countries in the military sphere, the Minister of National Defense of the PRC noted the great potential in this area.
V.Fenhe recalled that his country's position on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has not changed, and China, as before, is a supporter of the conflict settlement in accordance with the norms and principles of international law within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
Expressing gratitude for the invitation and hospitality, Colonel General Z. Hasanov stressed that friendly relations between Azerbaijan and China have deep roots. These relations are the basis of modern relations between our countries. Comprehensive cooperation with China is one of the top priorities of our country's foreign policy.
Highlighting the great merits of the great leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev in creating and deepening mutual trust in Azerbaijani-Chinese relations, Colonel General Z. Hasanov emphasized that under the leadership of the head of state, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev these friendly relations moved to a new stage of development and had been brought to a high level of cooperation. The visits of heads of our states and officials have gained a permanent nature. This, in turn, is a huge contribution to the strengthening of friendly relations and cooperation.
Touching upon the military and political situation in the South Caucasus, Colonel-General Z. Hasanov noted that Armenia's aggressive policy on Azerbaijan, which has been going on for more than 25 years, poses a serious threat not only to our country but also to peace and security in the whole region.
The Minister of Defense expressed his gratitude to his Chinese counterpart for the support of his country for the just position of Azerbaijan in settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
During the meeting, the sides discussed prospects for the development of cooperation in military, military-technical, military-educational and other spheres of mutual interest.
At the end of the meeting, the document on rendering military assistance was signed between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China.