AZERI, GEORGIAN DEFENCE MINISTERS DISCUSS TIES

Azerbaijani news agency APA, Baku
13 Jul 07

13 July: Georgian Defence Minister David Kezerashvili arrived on an
official visit to Azerbaijan on 12 July.

[Passage omitted: Azerbaijani Defence Minister Safar Abiyev received
his Georgian counterpart]

Abiyev said that Azerbaijani-Georgian cooperation had a strategic
nature. He called for joint efforts in the sphere of strengthening
ties, preserving regional security and restoring the two states’
territorial integrity as both countries have similar problems. Abiyev
spoke about the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and said that Azerbaijan
preferred a peaceful solution to the conflict as the talks within
the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group continued.

"The peace talks cannot continue forever. Armenia should draw a
conclusion from this, observe international legal norms and withdraw
from occupied Azerbaijani territories. Otherwise, Azerbaijan will
liberate its lands from aggressors," Abiyev said.

Kezerashvili said that cooperation in various spheres between the
Georgian and Azerbaijani defence ministries serves the two countries’
common interests. The ministers exchanged views on prospects of
Azerbaijani-Georgian military cooperation.