Russia content with outcome of Defense Minister visit to Azerbaijan

Russia & CIS General Newswire
November 29, 2007 Thursday 1:39 PM MSK

Russia content with outcome of Defense Minister visit to Azerbaijan –
Russian Ambassador

Russia is satisfied with the results of Defense Minister Anatoly
Serdyukov’s visit to Azerbaijan, which took place earlier this week,
Russian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Vasily Istratov said at a press
conference on Thursday.

"The parties signed a cooperation plan for 2008, and I would like to
note that the previous cooperation plan has been fulfilled. The
ministers were content with the negotiations and planned areas of
cooperation, including in the military-technological sector and as
regards the training of specialists," he said.

Serdyukov assured Azeri Defense Minister Safar Abiyev that Russian
educational institutions are prepared "to satisfy any demands from
the Azeri side regarding the training of cadets," Istratov said.

No issues concerning fundamentally new areas of cooperation were
discussed during Serdyukov’s visit to Baku, Istratov said.

"The talks dealt with the expansion of military-technological
cooperation, including as regards purchases of weapons," he said.

The two ministers also discussed Baku’s concerns about the possible
deployment of Russian weapons withdrawn from a military base in
Georgia in Nagorno-Karabakh, he said.

"I can say categorically on this account that Russia is not deploying
weapons in Nagorno-Karabakh," Istratov said.

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