Iran defense minister calls for closer ties with Azerbaijan

The Associated Press
12/22/04 14:28 EST

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) – Iran’s defense minister on Wednesday called
for closer military ties between his country and Azerbaijan.

Ali Shamkhani’s visit to neighboring Azerbaijan is the second in
less than a week by a top Iranian security official. Last week,
Iran’s Minister for Intelligence Ali Yunesi met with Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliev, announcing that the two neighboring countries
were working together on security.

“Azerbaijan’s security is our security. Our defense capability is
your defense capability,” Shamkhani told his Azerbaijani counterpart,
Safar Abiyev. “We have all possibilities for broadening our relations.

A statement released by the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said the
two ministers exchanged opinions on a wide range of issues concerning
the development of military ties.

Abiyev said Iran should help to resolve the dispute surrounding the
Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, whose status sparked a war between Armenia
and Azerbaijan in the 1990s. The two Caucasus countries continue to
have tense relations.

Shamkhani was also expected to meet with Aliev and other top Azeri
officials.

Earlier this month, several top Iranian diplomats as well as Iran’s
health and environment ministers made official visits to Azerbaijan.