Russia offers military aid to Azerbaijan

The visiting chairman of the Russian Federation Council Sergey Mironov offered Russian military assistance to Azerbaijan. He said in Baku last week that the two countries could cooperate in military sphere, as Russia could render technical assistance to Azeri military units. He was speaking to Azeri MPs in the parliament Friday after meeting Azeri Speaker Murtuz Alasgarov, with whom he discussed expansion of inter-parliamentary cooperation, settlement of regional conflicts, security and other issues.

A Russian delegation headed by Mironov has been in Baku since Thursday on the invitation of the Azeri Parliament Speaker Alasgarov.

Offer

The Russian official proposed to hold a meeting of the Speakers of South Caucasus nations and chairman of the Russian Federation Council in a new format.

“The first meeting of this kind is expected to take place in St. Petersburg, Russia, then in the Caucasus states", he said.

According to Mironov, he has already got the Azeri Speaker's consent on the issue.

He said the South Caucasus, including Azerbaijan, is a priority for Russia's foreign policy, underlining the good level of bilateral cooperation in energy and security.

Award

Mr. Mironov met with teachers and students of Baku Slavonic University Friday morning, where he was awarded the university's honorable doctorate.

The Russian official donated 90 books to its library.

During the visit Mr. Mironov met with President Aliyev, Caucasus clerical leader Pashazadeh, Russian community, paid a tribute to the Cemetery of Martyrs and toured Ganja, where he had been on military service, and did homage to the monument to the great Azeri thinker and poet Nizami Ganjavi.