WASHINGTON (TIP): The US and Russian militaries agreed to “enhance communications” after a meeting between their top commanders in Azerbaijan today (February16), the Pentagon said. Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Joe Dunford and his Russian counterpart Valery Gerasimov discussed military relations between the two countries as well as security in Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere during their meeting in the capital Baku.
The two sides “have undertaken efforts to improve operational safety of military activities in order to decrease the prospects for crisis and avoid the risk of unintended incidents,” the Pentagon said in a statement. “The leaders further agreed to enhance communications on such stabilizing measures.”
The United States and Russia already maintain a permanent military communications line over their air operations in Syria to avoid incidents between their aircraft. The last face-to-face meeting between the two highest US and Russian military officers took place in January 2014 between Gerasimov and Dunford’s predecessor Martin Dempsey. The Baku meeting comes amid widespread speculation about the future of US-Russian relations following US President Donald Trump‘s election.