FRANCE PROPOSE TO HOLD JOINT MILITARY TRAININGS WITH AZERBAIJAN

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Feb 6 2008

Azerbaijan, Baku, 6 February / Trend corr. I.Alizadeh / The French
Defense Ministry proposes to hold joint trainings with Azerbaijan.

"The French Defense Ministry is planning to cooperate with Azerbaijan
in three spheres, including geopolitical and political consultations,
as well as cooperation in the military and strategic spheres," stated
Terri Borj de Mozot, the representative of French Defense Ministry,
during his meeting with Ziyafat Askarov, the Azerbaijani first Prime
Speaker and chairman of permanent Parliamentary Commission on Security
and Defense Issues.

Mozot said that the Azerbaijan’s position has aroused interested in
France for the Caucasus region, particularly with the Armenia. "We are
also very much interested in your relations with Russia, Turkey and
Iran. From the military point of view, Azerbaijan is a strategically
important country. France wants to establish good relations with
Azerbaijan, the country which is important for us from the political
and economic points of view," he said.

According to him, France is also interested in the military
cooperation. "The defense Minister has commissioned me to hold
negotiations in order to increase the partnership level with
Azerbaijan. We discussed with Azerbaijani Defense Minister, the
various prospects of military cooperation," he added.

Askarov expressed his satisfaction in the partnership level between
Azerbaijan and France.