Azernews.Az

By Vafa Ismayilova

Baku hosted a solemn ceremony to open Three Brothers - 2021 international drills with the participation of the Azerbaijani, Turkish and Pakistani special forces on September 12, the Defence Ministry has reported.

Patriotic War Hero Maj-Gen Zaur Javanshir reported to the commander of the special forces, Patriotic War Hero Lt-Gen Hikmat Mirzayev, about the readiness of the participants for the opening ceremony.

After Mirzayev congratulated the special forces of the three countries on the start of the joint exercises, a minute of silence was observed to commemorate the martyrs of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Pakistan.

The national flags of the participating countries were raised and the ceremony was accompanied by the three countries' national anthems.

Mirzayev said he was very pleased to see the Turkish and Pakistani special forces' representatives in Azerbaijan.

"Azerbaijan, Turkey and Pakistan have entered the history of mankind as close friends and brothers. At the heart of these relations is the close ties between our peoples. Evidence of this can be seen in the solidarity and support of Turkey and Pakistan to Azerbaijan from the first day of the 44-day counter-offensive operations launched by Azerbaijan against the Armenian armed forces on September 27, 2020. Today, cooperation between our countries in all areas is at the highest level. Important measures are being taken to further strengthen and develop our relations to ensure the region's and peoples' security," the commander said.

He expressed confidence that the drills will provide an extensive exchange of experience and views between servicemen of the three countries and will greatly contribute to further improvement of the professional training.

The heads of the Turkish and Pakistani delegations, Lt-Col Kurshad Konuk and Lt-Coll Aamir Shahzad, noted that this bond of friendship between the three nations and armies would stand the test of time in a rapidly changing global environment and the three brothers will grow closer as reliable regional partners and collaborators despite international political changes.

The Three Brothers - 2021 international exercises will serve to further strengthen the existing bilateral ties between the armies, as well as provide an opportunity to discover new ways to combat terrorism and develop the training through mutual exchange of experience.

After the official part of the opening ceremony, the commander of the Azerbaijani special forces, Hikmat Mirzayev, met the guests and wished them success in the exercises.

During the 44-day war with Armenia in 2020, Turkey and Pakistan were among the first countries voicing political support for Azerbaijan. The two fraternal countries also support Azerbaijan in the restoration of the country's liberated territories.

Furthermore, the parliaments of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Pakistan have signed the Baku Declaration on cooperation. The document was signed following the trilateral meeting held by speakers of the three countries’ parliaments on July 27, 2021.

On June 15, 2021, Azerbaijan and Turkey signed a memorandum of alliance that cemented the existing military, political and economic cooperation.

The Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations that President Ilham Aliyev and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed during the first official visit to Shusha eight months after Azerbaijan’s victory in the war with Armenia, also focuses on defence cooperation.

It affirms joint efforts by the two armies in the face of foreign threats. The declaration also pledges joint efforts for the restructuring and modernization of the armed forces. Moreover, the two nations affirm to encourage the execution of joint projects with the aim of developing capabilities in the field of sea, air, and space.

In the winter of 2014, during the fifth meeting of the working group on military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Pakistan in the city of Islamabad, the countries signed an agreement on mutual military cooperation.

Over the past decade, Pakistani military experts trained about a hundred Azerbaijani military units.

Azerbaijan is holding talks with Pakistan to purchase JF-17 Thunder multirole fighter aircraft. In October 2016 President Aliyev and PM Sharif confirmed plans to carry out joint military exercises.

Furthermore, the parliaments of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Pakistan have signed the Baku Declaration on cooperation. The document was signed following the trilateral meeting held by speakers of the three countries’ parliaments on July 27, 2021.

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