MNA – The Islamic Republic of Iran and Republic of Iran has signed a military cooperation protocol with Republic of Azerbaijan during the visit of Chief of General Staff of Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri to the northern neighbor.

Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of General Staff of Iranian Armed Forces who arrived in Baku atop a high-ranking military delegation at the official invitation of Azerbaijan’s Minister of Defense Zakir Hasanov, held talks with Hasanov on Wednesday afternoon.

During the meeting, Bagheri and Hasanov signed a military cooperation protocol to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries in military and military-technical fields.

After the meeting, the two military officials talked to reporters and explained to them what they had discussed in their today’s talks.

The chief of general staff of Iranian armed forces expressed his appreciation for the warm hospitality of the Azeri defense minister, saying during the meeting, they explored the ways to expand bilateral cooperation.

He said that Iran supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, calling for expansion of cooperation in the field of logistics, military training and exchange of operational experiences.

The Iranian senior military official further expressed hope that the visit would be a big step towards stepping up bilateral military cooperation.

Zakir Hasanov, for his part, expressed his appreciation to General Bagheri for the visit, saying “we have high hopes in the visit.”

The Azeri defense minister ensured that the visit would enhance bilateral military cooperation to the highest level.

He also thanked Iran’s stance on the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, expressing hope that the support would continue. Hasanov added that the visit provided the opportunity for the activities of the joint Iran-Azerbaijan military committee.

Bagheri is scheduled to visit the Azeri prime minister as well as the parliament speaker during his one-day visit. He met with President Ilham Aliyev in the morning.