Iran Ready to Equip Azerbaijan's Army: DM
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran is ready to supply the Republic of Azerbaijan's Army with the equipment it needs, Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan said on Monday.
In a meeting with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on Monday, Dehqan voiced Iran's preparedness to upgrade defense ties with the neighboring country and meet the Azeri Army's demands for military equipment.
Azerbaijan has a special position in Iran's foreign policy and defense diplomacy, the Iranian minister said, highlighting the capacities for promoting cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the military and defense sphere.
Dehqan underlined that the common interests of Tehran and Baku as well as the common threats they face necessitate stronger bilateral cooperation in all fields.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the minister criticized the US strategy to pressurize regional countries by fomenting orchestrated crises in the Middle East, saying that an example of this is Saudi Arabia's military campaign against Yemen with the backing of Washington and Tel Aviv that has exacerbated the situation in the Middle East.
For his part, the Azeri president endorsed the idea of enhanced defense cooperation between Tehran and Baku.
He also considered the security, stability and development of Iran as those of Azerbaijan.
Aliyev further stressed Baku's support for Iran's peaceful nuclear activities and made it clear that nothing can affect this stance of Azerbaijan.
Dehqan is on a visit to the neighboring country at the invitation of his Azeri counterpart Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov.
A year ago, the Azeri defense minister had paid a two-day official visit to Iran.