Azerbaijan, NATO mull issues of military cooperation

First Deputy Minister of Defense – Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijan Army, Colonel General Karim Valiyev met with the Director General of the NATO International Military Staff, Lieutenant General Janusz Adamczak, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan.

The Ministry of Defense told Report that Colonel General Valiyev greeted the guests and commended the current state of relations with NATO, emphasizing the importance of further developing mutual relations.

In discussing the historical significance of the remarkable Victory achieved in the Patriotic War under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, the Chief of the General Staff emphasized that the Azerbaijan Army rigorously was following the norms and principles of international humanitarian law throughout the military operations, ensuring that the civilian population was not targeted.

Colonel General Valiyev noted: "Our country is rapidly continuing restoration and construction works in the liberated territories, as well as humanitarian demining activities. Now the main obstacle in front of us is mine terrorism caused by the Armenian occupation". The guests were also informed in detail about the current situation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian conditional border.

Colonel General Valiyev stated that a great contribution was made to the training of the units within the framework of NATO's Operational Capabilities Concept (OCC) and emphasized the necessity of continuation of the cooperation.

The Chief of the General Staff emphasized that the deployment of the European Union observation mission in the Armenian territory of the conditional border and arming Armenia by some extraregional countries, particularly France, contribute to the emergence of revanchist forces, hinder the normalization of relations and the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia and escalate the situation in the South Caucasus.

Lieutenant General Adamczak expressed satisfaction with the visit to Azerbaijan and commended the activities of the Azerbaijan Army’s servicemen in all fields within the partnership with NATO, as well as expressed gratitude for the contribution to the Resolute Support non-combat mission in Afghanistan and other peacekeeping missions.

The meeting discussed cooperation in the military, military-educational spheres, regional security and other issues.

As part of the visit, the NATO delegation visited the Alley of Shehids (Martyrs) and honored the memory of Shehids of 20 January tragedy and the First Karabakh War, who sacrificed their lives for the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

The guests also visited the Military Trophy Park and viewed small arms, armored and special vehicles, artillery installations, missile systems and other military seized as trophies from the enemy during the Patriotic War.

As part of the visit to Azerbaijan, the NATO delegation also attended the Military Institute named after Heydar Aliyev and the Naval Forces’ military unit.