MOSCOW, August 8 (AVN) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov was supposed to meet his Azerbaijani counterpart Safar Abiyev in the Defence Ministry at 15.00 Moscow time (1100 GMT) on Wednesday, a spokesman for the ministry told the Military News Agency.
Both ministers were supposed to discuss problems of the Trans-Caucasus. According to the spokesman, the official Baku is extremely worried with relations tension with Iran including the territorial claims to Azerbaijan. The claims include land and naval territories which belonged to Azerbaijan after Moscow and Tehran agreement conclusion in the 30s. The Baku officials consider that the improved Moscow influence on Tehran will help eliminate those problems.
Both officials were also planning to discuss the situation in the North Caucasus and measures on combating terrorism on the territory as well as in Chechnya which Russia is going to carry out together with corresponding law-enforcement and antiterrorist agencies of Azerbaijan.
During the discussion of bilateral military and military-technical co-operation Ivanov and Abiyev were going to discuss the status and functioning of the Gabaly radar station handed to Russia and on supplies and modernisation of Soviet arms which the Azerbaijani army is equipped with. Mainly it features the Land Forces and air defence combat equipment. The Azerbaijani Air Force have three MIG-25 Foxbat planes, four MI-24 Hind helicopters and still have no possibility to obtain more planes.