Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 29 2008

Chief of General Staff of Estonian Defence Forces: `Occupied
territories are integral part of Azerbaijan’

[ 29 May 2008 19:28 ]

Baku. Mahbuba Gasimbayli-APA. Lieutenant-genera Ants Laaneots, Chief
of the General Staff of the Estonian Defense Forces paid two-day
official visit to Baku on May 29 at the invitation of Colonel-General
Safar Abiyev, Azerbaijani Defense Minister, the Defense Ministry’s
Press Service told APA.

The guest laid a wreath at the grave of Heydar Aliyev in the Alley of
Honor and commemorative monument of those, who died for the
independence of Azerbaijan in the Alley of Martyrs.

The Defense Ministers had one-on-one meeting in Defense
Ministry. Abiyev spoke about cooperation between the two countries and
sated that Estonian experience as NATO member country is important for
Azerbaijan. Abiyev provided information about successes achieved as a
result of cooperation with NATO within the framework of Partnership
for Peace Program (PfP) and stressed that Azerbaijan gained much
progress within the framework of Individual Partnership Action Plan
(IPAP). He stated that fist stage of plan has been implemented
successfully and second stage of plan has been started. Abiyev touched
upon military-political situation in the region and noted that Armenia
occupied 20% territories of Azerbaijan, create obstacles to the
peaceful settlement of the conflict and refuse to implement demands of
resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council. `Unfortunately,
efforts of OSCE MG remained without result’, he said. The Minister
added that Azerbaijan would not settle for compromise in restoration
of its territorial integrity.

`If Armenia continues to delay peaceful solution to the conflict,
Azerbaijan will take serious steps against it and will liberate its
lands. Armenia should understand it once and for all’, he said.

Chief of the General Staff of the Estonian Defence Forces noted that
the two sides were interested in development of relations. He stated
that restoration of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan was of
principal importance for Estonia and stressed that occupied lands were
integral part of Azerbaijan.

The sides exchanged views on prospects of military cooperation and
other issues of mutual interests.