Azerbaijani General Staff chief, NATO rep discuss Armenian-Azerbaijani border situation

BAKU. Oct 9 (Interfax) - Azerbaijani First Deputy Defense Minister, General Staff Chief Col. Gen. Kerim Veliyev and NATO International Military Staff Director General Lieut. Gen. Janusz Adamczak have discussed cooperation prospects and regional processes at a meeting in Baku.

"Veliyev lauded the current level of relations with NATO and underlined the importance of developing military cooperation," the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a statement.

He also noted a major contribution to the training of Azerbaijani units within the framework of NATO's Operational Capabilities Concept and stressed the need for further cooperation, the statement said.

Veliyev briefed the interlocutor on the current situation at the conventional Azerbaijani-Armenian border.

"The General Staff chief emphasized that the deployment of the EU observation mission on the Armenian territory, at the conventional border, and Armenia's arming by certain non-regional states, such a France, had encouraged the activity of revanchist forces in Armenia, created impediments to normalization of Azerbaijani-Armenian relations and hindered the peace process by escalating tensions in the South Caucasus," the statement said.

In turn, Adamczak commended the activity of Azerbaijani military in every area of cooperation with NATO and thanked Baku for its contribution to the non-combat Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan and other peacekeeping missions.

"The sides discussed various aspects of military and military-education cooperation, regional security, and other matters," the ministry said.