On March 9, the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, met with the Chief of Staff of NATO Allied Land Command, Lieutenant General Mustafa Oguz, who is on an official visit to Azerbaijan, Report informs, citing the Defense Ministry.
The Turkish guest first visited the graves of the heroic sons of Azerbaijan, who became Shehids (Martyrs) for the independence and territorial integrity of the country, and the Turkish Martyrs' Cemetery erected in honor of the Turkish soldiers fallen in 1918, tribute was paid to their memory, and flowers were laid.
Then the meeting was held at the Defense Ministry. Welcoming the guest, Colonel General Hasanov expressed satisfaction to see him in Azerbaijan.
First, the Azerbaijani Defense Minister noted that he shares the pain of the relatives of victims who died as a result of the strong earthquake in Türkiye, expressed his deepest condolences to their families, and wished recovery to all the wounded. Saying that "Your grief is our grief too," the Minister emphasized that Azerbaijan always stands by the fraternal country.
Then Colonel General Hasanov informed the guest about the reforms carried out in the Azerbaijan Army under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev, the work done in the liberated territories, as well as the current situation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian conditional state border and the Karabakh economic region.
Speaking about the successes achieved in cooperation with NATO, the Defense Minister noted the importance of further developing mutual relations.
Lieutenant General Mustafa Oguz expressed his gratitude for the support provided after the earthquake. He prayed for mercy to the military servicemen of the Azerbaijani Army who became Shehids as a result of the provocation committed by illegal Armenian formations in the morning of March 5 and expressed condolences to their families.
Speaking about the current state of cooperation with Azerbaijan, the Chief of Staff of the NATO LANDCOM expressed his satisfaction with the positive results achieved in this field.
During the meeting, it was noted that Azerbaijan-NATO military cooperation is of special importance within the framework of the Operational Capabilities Concept (OCC).
In the end, a detailed exchange of views on the development prospects of bilateral relations, as well as other issues of mutual interest, was held.