CEREMONY OF WELCOMING DEFENSE MINISTER OF IRAN HELD
[December 22, 2004, 22:33:24]

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Dec 22 2004

A ceremony of welcoming of the defense minister of the Islamic Republic
of Iran Admiral Ali Shamkhani was held at the Defense Ministry of
Azerbaijan.

At the meeting of defense ministers of two countries, defense minister
of Azerbaijan, colonel-general Safar Abiyev the meeting would serve
much more strengthening of the relations between Azerbaijan and
Iran. After the official visit of nationwide leader of Azerbaijan
President Heydar Aliyev to Iran in 2002, bilateral relations have
acquired a new level and now is developing with constant reciprocal
visits, he underlined.

Admiral Ali Shamkhani thanked for invitation to visit Azerbaijan and
invited his Azerbaijani counterpart to pay a visit to Iran.

Expressing gratitude for invitation, Mr. Abiyev updated the guest
on current military-political situation on the South Caucasus,
on the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh conflict, stating that
historically there has not been Armenian state in South Caucasus.

Defense minister of Abiyev said Azerbaijan hopes for support of Iran
in fair solution of this problem, emphasizing that Azerbaijan would
not cede a sod of its lands.

Admiral Ali Shamkhani said Iran stands ready to assist Azerbaijan.
Iran backs territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and would do ahead.

The sides had comprehensive exchange of views on a range of questions,
including defense affairs.