The military authorities of Russia and Azerbaijan will expand cooperation, including in the training of Azerbaijani military in Russian universities, the Russian Defense Minister, Army General Sergei Shoigu said at the meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov in Moscow.
"Our contacts were according to plan in 2016," the Russian minister said. "I mean our joint work on the fight against international terrorism. Here, of course, the special role is played by the rapidly changing situation, the global situation in the fight against international terrorism," the head of the Russian Defense Ministry stressed.
According to him, the two countries' military cooperation plans have been implemented and executed. Shoigu said that a plan for 2018 has been already prepared. "We will continue to expand our military cooperation. This also applies to staff negotiations, as well as contacts at the level of main commands," TASS cited the head of the defense department as saying.
Shoigu also said that the bilateral cooperation aimed at ensuring the security of the Caspian Sea will be expanded.
"We believe that Azerbaijan today is an outpost of security in the Caspian region. And here we need to cooperate even more efficiently," the minister noted, adding that the countries "came quite close to this".
"I am sure that it will significantly affect the stability in the region," the head of the Russian Defense Ministry concluded.
Zakir Hasanov, in turn, said that Azerbaijan is ready to hold the International Military Games' 'Caspian Cup' competition in 2017 with the support of Russia.
"Hopefully, we will organize 'the Caspian Cup' in the territorial waters of Azerbaijan with the technical assistance of the Russian Federation," the head of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said.
