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Azerbaijani, Afghan senior officials mull further economic, security, transport cooperation

22 December 2020 [17:00] - TODAY.AZ

By Azernews


By Vafa Ismayilova

Azerbaijan's foreign and national security ministers have discussed bilateral cooperation in the field of economy, security, transport and other spheres with the visiting high-ranking officials from Afghanistan.

At their meeting in Baku on December 21, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Afghan National Security Advisor Hamdullah Mohib and Chief of Staff to the Afghan President Mohammad Shaker Kargar focused on the established bilateral Azerbaijani-Afghan relations, as well as cooperation within international organizations. Bayramov noted that there is a great potential for the development of cooperation between the two countries, the Foreign Ministry reported.

Stressing that Afghanistan has always supported Azerbaijan’s position, based on the international law, the minister said that the fraternal country's political support was clearly demonstrated during the 44-day Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh War. The minister added that the Azerbaijani people highly appreciate this support.

The parties exchanged views on cooperation in the field of economy, security, transport and other spheres, including those on the development of the Lapis-Lazuli international transit route and the Trans-Caspian fiber-optic communication line, as well as opportunities for the Afghan youth to study in Azerbaijan and other regional issues of mutual interest, the ministry said.

Mohib noted with satisfaction his meeting with President Aliyev and stressed that personal relations between the two countries' leaders played a special role in the development of bilateral relations.

Congratulating Azerbaijan on the victory, Mohib stressed that Afghanistan has always supported Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

At a meeting in Baku on December 21, Azerbaijani State Security Service Head Colonel-General Ali Nagiyev and Afghan National Security Advisor Hamdullah Mohib, Chief of Staff to the Afghan President Mohammad Shaker Kargar, and Director-General of the National Directorate of Security of Afghanistan Lieutenant-General Ahmad Zia Saraj discussed further cooperation in the sphere of protecting the two countries' security interests, the State Security Service reported on its website.

Ambassador of Afghanistan to Azerbaijan Amanullah Jeyhun also attended the meeting.

Nagiyev briefed the guests about the policy of successful socio-economic progress and reforms in the law enforcement sphere, the fight against international terrorism, and measures taken to strengthen stability and security in general.

The sides stressed that friendly relations developing between the peoples of the two countries through the Azerbaijani and Afghan presidents' joint efforts also serve to strengthen the security partnership between the  countries.

Colonel-General Ali Naghiyev highlighted the political and diplomatic support provided by Afghanistan to the restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity in the Great Patriotic War and expressed confidence that such continuous contacts would contribute to the further development of cooperation between the two countries, as well as between the relevant security structures.

The guests thanked for the attention and the conditions created for discussions on topical issues in the field of protection of security interests of Azerbaijan and Afghanistan. They noted the importance of expanding cooperation between the two countries' relevant authorities in combating common threats to create favourable conditions for the policy of stability, security and development pursued by the Azerbaijani, Afghan leaders for the progress of the two nations.

The sides exchanged views on prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation in security activities and other issues of mutual interest.

On December 21, the delegation of high-ranking Afghan officials led by Mohib was also received by President Ilham Aliyev who hailed political support that Kabul displayed during the 44-day war between Armenia and Azerbaijan which ended in the liberation of the latter's occupied territories from occupation.

At a meeting with senior defence officials in Baku on December 21, the Afghan delegation focused on further bilateral military cooperation and regional security.

Azerbaijani troops have been part of NATO peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan since November 2002. 

After the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) mission wrapped up in 2014, giving its place to the non-combat NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in January 2015, Azerbaijan started contributing to the novel mission with a personnel of 94 servicemen, local sources reported earlier in 2020.







URL: http://www.today.az/news/politics/201771.html

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