Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko met with Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov to discuss the prospects of military and technical cooperation, APA reported citing BelTA.  

The head of state remarked that Belarus and Azerbaijan continue cooperation, including in the military and technical dimension. “I am not going to explain the nature of our relations to anyone. I want to say only one thing: our relations do not violate any international agreements, any resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. Belarus is a sovereign independent state, and we can determine the avenues of cooperation that meet the spirit of the time and the needs of our states,” the Belarusian leader stressed.

The president also pointed out the brotherly nature of relations between the two nations. “We used to live in one country. We have no claims whatsoever to Azerbaijani people. We respect them immensely. And the main thing, I remember very well that your president has always supported the Belarusian state,” Alexander Lukashenko said. “We remember it very well and are ready to do everything we can for Azerbaijan. We are ready to do our best to help you enhance security, develop your country, improve the wellbeing of Azerbaijani people, and make them even more prosperous. We will pursue only these noble goals.”

“In order to help Azerbaijani people feel safe and secure, just like in Belarus, it is essential to strengthen the defense sector. There is nothing new here. Therefore, we are working with you in this field and will continue to work,” he added. The head of state also mentioned the especially friendly relations with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and asked to convey good wishes to him. “I think we will meet in the near future and will have an opportunity to discuss various topics,” the president said.

For his part, Zakir Hasanov thanked Alexander Lukashenko for making time to meet despite his busy schedule. “We view it as a sign of respect for our president, people, our country,” the minister emphasized. He conveyed the best wishes to the head of state from the president of Azerbaijan. “He spoke in good terms about our relations, the relations between you, between nations. People in Azerbaijan like Belarus and you, respect your country. We maintain very close ties in all areas. You are absolutely right that we can learn a lot from each other,” Zakir Hasanov said. The minister said that there are good projects and cooperation in the military and technical dimension. “This does not contradict international laws. With all responsibility I should say that the equipment which we have got as part of the military and technical cooperation program is of high quality and is used successfully in the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan. It enables us to continue and even expand cooperation. We are interested in it,” he said.