Russia offers Azerbaijan to create a system of collective security in the Caspian Sea (UPDATED)

The Navies of Azerbaijan and Russia have agreed to hold in 2015 a series of naval exercises in the Caspian region and discussed the creation of a system of collective security in the Caspian Sea. This is the main result of the visit to Baku of the Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

The understanding between the defense ministers of the two countries was reported in a briefing to conclude the negotiations.

  "The agenda of our talks gives us hope that they will give a new momentum to our relations," said Shoigu. He noted that he discussed with his Azerbaijani counterpart Zakir Hasanov the whole range of issues of military and military-technical cooperation, collaboration in the Caspian Sea and the security and stability issues.

   "A series of joint naval exercises are planned in 2015. They work out the action for the protection of navigation, safety of maritime economic activities, as well as rescue and humanitarian assistance. We will develop other areas of cooperation in the Caspian Sea. In particular, it will be in the field of navigation and hydrographic support navigation and information exchange on the above-water environment for joint counteraction to illegal cross-border activities of criminal groups," said Shoigu.

"To this end, we have discussed the prospects of establishing a system of collective security in the Caspian Sea, the organization of interaction in the prevention of accidents and aircraft transparency of military navigation," said the head of the Defense Ministry.

According to him, the first step towards the creation of a system of collective security in the Caspian Sea could be the creation of a council of commanders of the naval forces and preparation of a draft five-sided agreement on prevention of incidents on the Caspian Sea and in the air above it.

Referring to the signed cooperation plan between the Ministries of Defense of Russia and Azerbaijan for 2015, Shoigu said: "Currently we are pursuing a program of cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan in the military and military-technical cooperation for 2013-2016." Moreover, the sides discussed the prospects of cooperation in the training of military personnel.

"Currently, the Russian Ministry of Defense schools at no charge train 57 Azerbaijani soldiers," said Shoigu. He also noted that the Azerbaijani side has applied for additional staff for the army, and this application has been accepted.

Recall that at the recent summit of the Caspian countries in Astrakhan heads of the five riparian countries stated that military activities in the region should be based on principles of "reasonable sufficiency" and to ensure equal conditions of security for all the Caspian states. They also reaffirmed the principle of "no presence of the armed forces, not belonging to the littoral states on the Caspian Sea." -02D-

2014 October 13 (Monday) 20:59:20

On Monday in Baku, the Defense Ministers of Azerbaijan and Russia held talks, on the basis of which was signed military cooperation plan for 2015.

Opening the meeting, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the sides would discuss "serious" issues of military-technical cooperation and regional issues. Among these issues, Shoigu called joint military exercises in the Caspian Sea, training of military personnel and security in the region.

After the meeting in the Defense Ministry, Shoigu was received by President Ilham Aliyev.
During the talks, the sides discussed issues of cooperation in the military sphere, the website of the President reported.

Meanwhile, unofficial sources believe that one of the issues discussed during the visit was the supply of the Russian military base in Armenia, which has been under actual blockade after the ban on flights of Russian aircraft through Georgia. -02B-