US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived here Wednesday for talks with leaders of Azerbaijan, the only predominantly Muslim country with troops in Iraq. Rumsfeld, who flew here from Afghanistan, was expected to meet Thursday with President Ilham Aliyev for talks on issues ranging from maritime security in the oil-rich Caspian to efforts to prevent proliferation of nuclear materials. He also was expected to thank leaders here for sending troops to missions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo, and supporting US counter-terrorism efforts since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, officials said. Azerbaijan was Rumsfeld\'s third stop on a trip that began in Oman. (AFP)