Chiefs of General Staff of Armed Forces of Azerbaijan and Russia meet in Baku

Baku, February 6, AZERTAC First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Colonel General Najmeddin Sadikov has met with a delegation led by Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, First Deputy Minister of Defense, General of the Army Valery Gerasimov. Colonel General Najmeddin Sadikov stressed the important role of the heads of state in establishing relations between the two countries and noted that the bilateral cooperation is based on friendly relations and mutual trust. He added that these relations are developed and reached the level of strategic partnership in recent years. The Chief of the General Staff noted that a decision on the participation of the Azerbaijani Army in the military parade dedicated to the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War to be held on May 9 in Moscow was made at the state level, and active preparatory work is being carried out for this purpose. Referring to the military-political situation and security issues in the region, Colonel General Sadikov noted that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the main threat to the regional security. Najmeddin Sadikov emphasized the importance of resolving the conflict within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and on the basis of the norms and principles of international law. General of the Army Valery Gerasimov noted that the bilateral relations have historical roots, and the two countries are strategic partners. He emphasized the importance of organization of mutual meetings between military representatives in terms of expanding bilateral relations, as well as military and military-technical cooperation. Then the sides discussed the current state of cooperation in military, military-technical and military-educational spheres, and prospects for the development of relations, as well as exchanged views on the issues of mutual interest. Gerasimov expressed deep gratitude to the leadership of Azerbaijan for the excellent hospitality and organization of the next bilateral meeting with NATO`s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) in Baku.