AZERBAIJAN, PAKISTAN: COOPERATION IN DEFENSE FIELD EXPANDING
[April 20, 2005, 15:05:41]
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
April 20 2005
On April 19, Minister of Defense, colonel-general Safar Abiyev has met
the general director of Educational Department of the Headquarters
of Armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, rear admiral
Mohammad Nasat Raffi and delegation of department.
Having welcomed the visitors, Minister of Defense has noted that
Pakistan is one of the first states, which have recognized independence
of Azerbaijan. Recent official visit of the head of Azerbaijan state
Ilham Aliyev to Pakistan has even more pulled together two brotherly
states and peoples.
Having thanked colonel-general Safar Abiyev for warm meeting, rear
admiral Mohammad Nasat Raffi has noted that visit of delegation of the
Armed Forces of Pakistan to Azerbaijan is great honor for them, having
emphasized that between the Armed Forces of two states there have
been established fine relations. He has told: “Support which Pakistan
renders to Azerbaijan in the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, and Azerbaijan – in Kashmir question, confirms presence
of very sincere relations between two states. Pakistan offers its
support for protection of Azerbaijan against any aggression”.
Having emphasized that great leader Heydar Aliyev supported territorial
integrity of Pakistan, and that now the President of Azerbaijan
Ilham Aliyev continues this line, colonel-general Safar Abiyev
has told: “Cooperation of Azerbaijan and Pakistan in the field of
defense continuously develops. Having expressed to management of the
Pakistan state and the Ministry of Defense of this country gratitude
for creation of conditions for education of the representatives of
Armed Forces of Azerbaijan in military educational institutions of
Pakistan, he has told: “We are going to achieve further deepening of
this cooperation”.
Colonel-general Safar Abiyev had exchange of views on
military-political conditions in region of Southern Caucasus and
the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He has told:
“Despite of heavy consequences of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict,
the economy of our country successfully develops. The nearest months
the BTC MEP will be put into operation, and in 2006 construction
of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan gas main will start. Due to gradual
strengthening of economy of Azerbaijan, liberation of the lands from
under the Armenian invaders becomes more real. Now the OSCE Minsk
Group is engaged in settlement of the conflict. However, their activity
remains ineffectual. If the conflict will not be resolved by peace way,
Azerbaijan should be ready to clearing the territories by all means”.
In his turn, rear admiral M. Raffi has told: “We, the Pakistanis,
well know what means loss of 20 percent of the lands. We support
the position of Azerbaijan in the mentioned question. Therefore,
Azerbaijan should act only from the position of the strong state. We
are ready to the further strengthening cooperation with Azerbaijan
in the field of defense”.
Minister of Defense has carried out with the visitor exchange of views
on the Armed forces of Azerbaijan, their maintenance and system of
military education. He has told: “Each state itself should prepare
the officer staff for the Armed Forces. Today, we have achieved
it. But as required we direct our staff to receive education in
military educational institutions of the foreign states, including
brotherly Pakistan”.
The visitor has once again emphasized that Pakistan stands ready to
render Azerbaijan any assistance.
Having expressed confidence of it, colonel-general Safar Abiyev said:
“In Azerbaijan, we always with pride speak about the Islamic Republic
of Pakistan. We are proud of this friendship and brotherhood”.