/By AzerNews/

By Sara Rajabova

Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister, Colonel-general Zakir Hasanov has arrived in Kazakhstan to mull military cooperation with this country’s officials.

The two-day visit takes place upon the invitation of Kazakh Defense Minister Imangali Tasmagambetov, Azerbaijan’s defense ministry reported.

Hasanov, as part of the visit will hold meetings at Kazakhstan’s defense ministry to exchange views on current state and prospects of cooperation in the military, military-educational, military-technical fields.

Azerbaijanis and Kazakhs are both Turkic-speaking people and share close historical, religious and cultural ties. Both are littoral states of the Caspian Sea and possess a common maritime border. Currently, over 80,000 Azerbaijani people live in Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan see each other as main allies and partners in Central Asia and Transcaucasia.

Diplomatic relations were established on August 27, 1992. Both countries are full members of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Economic Cooperation Organization, Turkic Council, Joint Administration of Turkic Arts and Culture, Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.