"There are possibilities of developing our relations in the defence domaine," he said. "Azerbaijan's security is our security. Our defence potential is yours."

For his part, Abbiyev hoped that Iran, as a friend of Azerbaijan, would help in finding a solution to the problem of Nagorny-Karabakh, the disputed enclave that has pitted Baku against Armenia.

The Azeri minister was invited to visit Tehran. The defence ministry said consultations on military cooperation between the two countries' would continue.

All rights reserved. © 2005 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.