Strong, successful and independent Georgia is part of the national security of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said after his meeting with the Chairman of the Georgian Parliament on Monday.

A NATO meeting aimed at international military cooperation opened in Belgrade Tuesday where lingering bitterness over the 1999 bombing campaign of the city sparked protests against the event.

The UN Security Council on Monday extended the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus for another six months and urged the leadership of the Greek and Turkish Cyprus to accelerate the pace of talks aimed at reunifying the long-divided island.