Defence chief off to Turkey for working visit
By Vugar Khalilov
Azerbaijani Defence Minister Col-Gen Zakir Hasanov is paying a working visit to Turkey on February 1, the ministry has reported.
In a statement published on its website the ministry said: “In the course of the meeting with Turkish National Defence Minister [Hulusi Akar], issues of regional security, development of relations between the armies of the two fraternal countries, cooperation in military-technical, military education and military medicine as well as other issues of mutual interest will be discussed.”
Hasanov visited Anitkabir - the mausoleum of the founder of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and paid tribute to his memory. The minister signed the Book of Remembrance.
The visit is taking place at Akar's invitation and will last until February 2, the report added.
Azerbaijan and Turkey cooperate in various fields and have jointly completed giant military and economic projects.
The two nations periodically hold joint drills to improve interaction and communication between their army units.
Military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey first emerged in 1992, with an agreement signed between the Azerbaijani and Turkish governments on military education and weapon equipment and deals to help strengthen the bond between the two nations.
On June 15, the two countries 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 an interview with Turkey's Anadolu Agency on September 27, President Ilham Aliyev said that the signing of the Shusha Declaration raised bilateral relations to an even higher level.
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