Tweet
IRAN WILLING TO REINVIGORATE DEFENSE COOPERATION WITH AZERBAIJAN
Fars News Agency, Iran
Dec 11 2013
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan
in a message to his Azeri counterpart Colonel General Zakir Hasanov
reiterated Tehran's interest in strengthening defense cooperation
with Baku.
In his message submitted to Hasanov by Iranian Ambassador to Baku
Mohsen Pakayeen on Tuesday, Dehqan invited the Azeri defense minister
to visit Tehran, and underlined the necessity for strengthening
defense cooperation between the two countries.
According to the Azeri defense ministry's media section, Hasanov and
Pakayeen also discussed the political and military situation of the
region, the territorial dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia over
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and ways to develop mutual cooperation.
Iran's proposal for increasing defense cooperation with Azerbaijan
comes as foreign powers are competing for influence in the
soon-to-be-rich lands surrounding the Caspian Sea while Azerbaijan,
potentially the richest of them, has allowed the US to open a military
base in the country which raised Iran's eyebrows.
Iran has recently enhanced efforts to boost political, economic
and cultural ties and cooperation with the regional and neighboring
countries, specially the Central Asian states.
In October 2012, former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad traveled
to Baku to attend the 12th Summit of the Economic Cooperation
Organization (ECO). The Iranian and Azeri presidents met on the
sidelines of the Summit, where both leaders reiterated the necessity
for exploring new avenues to develop bilateral ties and cooperation.
Also, the Iranian officials have many times voiced Tehran's readiness
to help resolve the dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the
Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Despite facing strong international pressure, the Armenian and
Azerbaijani leaders have failed to agree on the basic principles of
ending the Karabakh conflict put forward by Russia, the United States,
and France in 2011.
Armenia and Azerbaijan thus remain officially at war over Karabakh
and the dispute is a major source of tension in the South Caucasus
region wedged between Iran, Russia and Turkey.
No country - not even Armenia - officially recognizes Karabakh as an
independent state.
The mountainous rebel region has been controlled by ethnic Armenians
since it broke free of Baku's control after a fierce war in the early
1990s that killed 30,000 people.
Fars News Agency, Iran
Dec 11 2013
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan
in a message to his Azeri counterpart Colonel General Zakir Hasanov
reiterated Tehran's interest in strengthening defense cooperation
with Baku.
In his message submitted to Hasanov by Iranian Ambassador to Baku
Mohsen Pakayeen on Tuesday, Dehqan invited the Azeri defense minister
to visit Tehran, and underlined the necessity for strengthening
defense cooperation between the two countries.
According to the Azeri defense ministry's media section, Hasanov and
Pakayeen also discussed the political and military situation of the
region, the territorial dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia over
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and ways to develop mutual cooperation.
Iran's proposal for increasing defense cooperation with Azerbaijan
comes as foreign powers are competing for influence in the
soon-to-be-rich lands surrounding the Caspian Sea while Azerbaijan,
potentially the richest of them, has allowed the US to open a military
base in the country which raised Iran's eyebrows.
Iran has recently enhanced efforts to boost political, economic
and cultural ties and cooperation with the regional and neighboring
countries, specially the Central Asian states.
In October 2012, former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad traveled
to Baku to attend the 12th Summit of the Economic Cooperation
Organization (ECO). The Iranian and Azeri presidents met on the
sidelines of the Summit, where both leaders reiterated the necessity
for exploring new avenues to develop bilateral ties and cooperation.
Also, the Iranian officials have many times voiced Tehran's readiness
to help resolve the dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the
Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Despite facing strong international pressure, the Armenian and
Azerbaijani leaders have failed to agree on the basic principles of
ending the Karabakh conflict put forward by Russia, the United States,
and France in 2011.
Armenia and Azerbaijan thus remain officially at war over Karabakh
and the dispute is a major source of tension in the South Caucasus
region wedged between Iran, Russia and Turkey.
No country - not even Armenia - officially recognizes Karabakh as an
independent state.
The mountainous rebel region has been controlled by ethnic Armenians
since it broke free of Baku's control after a fierce war in the early
1990s that killed 30,000 people.