Azerbaijan`s Minister of Defense, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov has today met with a delegation headed by NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai.

Noting that Azerbaijan is a NATO partner, the Minister of Defense stressed the Alliance's position on security in the South Caucasus serves to strengthen Euro-Atlantic security, and is an important element of peace and stability in the region. The Minister hailed the political support provided by NATO to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan.

Touching on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Zakir Hasanov stressed that Armenia's military aggression is a serious threat to the regional security.

Highly appreciating the relationship between NATO and Azerbaijan, James Appathurai expressed gratitude to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan for the contribution made by Azerbaijani peacekeepers to international security in the framework of operations conducted in Afghanistan, further development of cooperation and active participation of Azerbaijani servicemen in various programs of the Alliance.

They also discussed the projects implemented within the framework of various programs, the current state and prospects for the development of the relations between Azerbaijan and NATO.

AZERTAC