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US Defense Secretary Robert Gates positively evaluates visit to Azerbaijan

08 June 2010 07:56 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates very positively evaluated his visit to Azerbaijan, U.S. Department of Defense said in its website, APA reports quoting AzerTAc news agency. Calling Azerbaijan an important partner in the coalitionâ€™s efforts in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said he discussed a stronger military relationship between Azerbaijan and the United States in meetings with the countryâ€™s leaders and the issues would be on agenda during the bilateral defense consultations next month.
The secretary delivered a letter to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev from US President Barack Obama that expresses gratitude for Azerbaijanâ€™s contributions in Afghanistan, saying such assistance has â€œstrengthened Azerbaijanâ€™s stature as a steadfast security partner.â€ The letter also conveys Obamaâ€™s desire for a broader and deeper future relationship between the two countries.
During his talks with President Ilham Aliyev and Defense Minister Safar Abiyev in Baku, Gates said, they discussed strengthening the bilateral military relationship and the possibility of further U.S. help with maritime security in the Caspian Sea. More military exercises and intelligence sharing also came up during the meetings, he added, and the discussions also touched on Iran and Russia.
The Azerbaijani leaders expressed concern about a lack of progress in a long-standing territorial dispute with Armenians in the Nargorno-Karabakh region, Gates said, and he promised to relay the message to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.