Defence chief says Karabakh war victory to contribute to regional security
By Vafa Ismayilova
Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov has said that Azerbaijan's victory in a 44-day war with Armenia in autumn 2020 will contribute to stability in the South Caucasus region, the Defence Ministry reported on May 20.
He made the remarks at a meeting with a delegation from the Caspian Policy Center (CPC), a US-based independent research think tank, on May 20, 2021.
Hasanov noted that the Patriotic War, which began with a counter-offensive operation ended with the Azerbaijani army's decisive victory under President Ilham Aliyev's command. Emphasizing that the victory will contribute to stability in the South Caucasus, the defence minister informed the delegation members about the measures taken by the Azerbaijan Army on the liberated territories, the report said.
At the meeting, Hasanov briefed the delegation led by the Caspian Policy Center Chief Executive Officer Efgan Nifti about the military and political situation in the region, reforms carried out in the army development sphere, and Azerbaijan's contribution to international peace and security.
In turn, the delegation members congratulated the Azerbaijani people on the victory in the Patriotic War.
They noted that from the first day of the war they were closely following reports about the battles and analyzing the operations conducted by various types of troops. The guests also stressed that military specialists from the United States and other countries are deeply studying the Azerbaijani army's experience, tactics and combat style in this war.
Nifti gave detailed information about the activities of the organization and stressed the importance of the visit to Azerbaijan.
He underlined the significance of such meetings in terms of mutual exchange of experiences. Later Hasanov answered numerous questions of the guests.
It should be noted that members of the Caspian Policy Center Board of Directors Richard Hoagland and Robert Cekuta, as well as US Army (Retired) Major General Michael Repass also attended the meeting.
On November 10, Baku and Yerevan signed a Moscow-brokered deal that brought an end to 44 days of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani army declared a victory against the Armenian troops. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it has occupied since the early 1990s.
Before the signing of the deal, the Azerbaijani Army had liberated around 300 villages, settlements, city centres and historic Shusha city.
On January 11, the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders signed the second statement since the end of the 44-day war. The newly-signed statement is set to implement clause 9 of the November 2020 statement related to the unblocking of all economic and transport communications in the region.
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