Azerbaijan not to allow its territory to be used to hurt neighbors

"Azerbaijan, as a member of the anti-terrorist coalition, allows to use its airspace for the purpose of conducting anti-terror operations in Afghanistan," the ministry said in a statement.

"But it must note that Azerbaijan will not create opportunities or conditions allowing foreign countries to use its territory against neighboring countries," the ministry added.

The ministry made the statement after U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Matthew Bryza said in Tbilisi on March 30 that the United States hoped to secure the use of airfields in Azerbaijan for military purposes.

The head of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said last month that Washington could be interested in locating a radar in an unspecified Caucasus state as part of the Missile Defence System it plans to deploy in Central Europe.

But the Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry said the country has not and will not negotiate with the U.S. on deploying a missile defense system, or on building a military base in Azerbaijan, which is against its constitution, the Interfax news agency reported.

/Xinhua/