By Akbar Mammadov
Azerbaijan’s Interior Minister Vilayat Eyvazov and the visiting Serbian counterpart Nebojsa Stefanovic have discussed cooperation in fight against transnational organized crime, the ministry reported on August 11.
During the meeting, Eyvazov said that only join efforts can effectively combat this type of crimes. In his words, the fight against drug trafficking, international terrorism, human trafficking, illegal migration and cyber-crime, which are the main types of transnational organized crime, is in the spotlight.
Eyvazov informed his Serbian counterpart about the reforms implemented in the law enforcement agencies, reminding that Azerbaijan has adopted new laws regulating the activities of the police, based on democratic principles.
The minister added that the implementation of these laws is of special importance. Eyvazov, also highlighted that one of the important changes in this direction is to advance the activities in accordance with the best world practices.
Over the past 10 years, about 8,000 employees and servicemen have been involved in numerous pieces of training and exercises through a number of international organizations.
Eyvazov said that these training and exercises have a positive effect on the improvement of the professionalism and training level of staff. He also noted that the most modern information technologies are widely used in terms of taking urgent measures against illegal actions to which citizens are exposed.
In turn, expressing gratitude for the warm reception, Stefanovic said that relations between the two countries had expanded and deepened in recent years.
The two countries suffering from similar conflicts take the same position on a number of issues at the international level, said the Serbian minister. He also underlined that his country is interested in the further development of cooperation with the Interior Ministry of Azerbaijan that is considered a close friend for Serbia.
A number of other issues of mutual interest were also discussed at the meeting.
It should be noted that Stefanovic is also Serbia’s deputy prime minister and Secretary of the National Security Council.
Stefanovic visited Azerbaijan on August 11. Before the meeting with the Azerbaijani Interior Minister, the Serbian delegation also met with senior Azerbaijani officials – Secretary of the Security Council under the President of Azerbaijan Ramil Usubov, Presidential Aide and Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev, Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov and Azerbaijani Ambassador to Serbia Eldar Hasanov.
During the meeting, Serbia and Azerbaijan discussed security cooperation and reached an agreement in expanding cooperation in the exchange of sensitive information, counter-terrorism and other significant fields.
The Serbian delegation’s visit to Baku follows the phone conversation held between President Ilham Aliyev and Serbian President Alexandar Vučić on August 7. During the phone call, Vučić said that a high-level Serbian delegation would be sent to Azerbaijan in the near future to investigate Armenia’s use of Serbian-made weapons during the recent cross-border clash with Azerbaijan.
President Ilham Aliyev noted that Armenia’s use of Serbian-made ammunition in shelling Azerbaijani military and civilian positions that killed servicemen and a civilian has caused concern among the Azerbaijani public.
Earlier, on July 20, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry summoned Serbia's Chargé d'Affaires Danica Veinovic over the delivery of a large amount of military ammunition and mortar from Serbia to Armenia.
The cross-border clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia started on July 12 noon after Armenian troops fired artillery at Azerbaijani military post in Tovuz region.
Azerbaijani armed forces retaliated destroying a stronghold, bombshells, vehicles and servicemen on the territory of Armenia’s military unit by using artillery, mortars and tanks. Azerbaijan has also downed six Armenian UAVs.
Azerbaijan lost 12 servicemen, including an army general, as well as a civilian during cross-border clashes from July 12 till July 16.
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Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97
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