Azerbaijan’s chief of military staff on Tuesday invited the US military attache in Baku to his office to help "restore ties and confidence” after relations deteriorated over Washington’s criticism of the human rights situation in the former Soviet republic.     

Col.-Gen. Nacmaddin Sadikov said Azerbaijan is still a reliable partner of the US-led forces in Afganistan despite "provocative” actions by the US Department of State, the Defense Ministry in Baku said on its website.

Sadikov regretted at the strain in military ties between the two countries, saying Azerbaijan is ready to fully restore confinece with the US.

He expressed the hope that officials at the Department of State will stop hindering the implementation of military plans between the two countries.