Azernews.Az

BAKU – Azerbaijan’s dependence on foreign suppliers of weaponry has been eliminated, Defense Industry Minister Yaver Jamalov said.

Speaking five years after the ministry’s establishment, Jamalov told reporters Friday that all the ammunition required by the Azerbaijani armed forces is now produced by the Defense Industry Ministry’s facilities. Azerbaijan is also trying to eliminate its reliance on foreign-made armored machines.

Jamalov said further that work was underway to arrange exports of weaponry and ammunition, and the country has signed relevant preliminary agreements with a number of countries.

The minister noted that domestic production of military goods has surged 115-fold since 2006 and more than tripled in comparison with 2009.

According to him, the primary goal set out by Azerbaijan since the Defense Industry Ministry’s establishment was to overhaul Soviet-era facilities and create capacities to produce defense industry goods on their basis. Afterwards, 31 production areas were set up. These facilities currently produce firearms, ammunition, grenade launchers, mines, armored vehicles, as well as Zefer, Zefer-K and Inam pistols meeting NATO standards, Jamalov said.

The minister also said the government was in talks with Turkey’s major arms manufacturer Otokar on joint production of armored vehicles.

Azerbaijan’s Defense Industry Ministry and Otokar signed a letter of intent in October on joint production of military machines. The company manufactures Arma, Akrep, Cobra and Kaya armored vehicles, armored ambulances and police cars.