Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Through adopting a number of new laws, as well as updating old methodological documents in Azerbaijan, cooperation between the parliament and the military structures will be enhanced, Zahid Oruc, a member of the committee on security and defense at the Azerbaijani parliament told Trend Agency on January 24.

Oruc said the committee on security and defense will present two new bills - on "the Armed Forces and other military compounds" and on "the Status of Servicemen" at the spring session of the parliament.

He said both bills were included in the agenda of the previous sessions, however, they were not accepted due to the fact that some of the structures of armed forces didn't give positive response regarding these documents.

Oruc further said there should be no obstacles and challenges in the issue of adopting the bill on "the Armed Forces and other military compounds".

"This document can be considered as the basic law, defining the framework principles. The creation of the armed forces in any country should be realized in accordance with the law. This basic law is adopted to avoid any cases of establishing a private military structure, its institutions by various state agencies and also in order to create such organizations with legal grounds," Oruc said.

He further said the bill on "the Armed Forces and other military compounds" also is a document defining the general principles of the armed forces. He noted however, this law does not consider the creation of new military unit in Azerbaijan.

The bill on "the Status of Servicemen" mainly covers issues that are explained in the two existing laws regulating the relations in this sphere, and along with this, it will also reflect innovations.

"The last version of the bill prepared by the experts hasn't been presented to the committee yet. But I think that if this issue is on the agenda, perhaps, its adoption will be possible," Oruc said.

Oruc also added that if to talk about the modernization of the army, from this point of view, the structural changes and the status of the servicemen should meet the international requirements.

Recently, Defense Ministry spokesman Vagif Dargahli said a number of services, execution of the service duties at the military units and other institutions subordinated to the Defense Ministry will entrusted to the civilians step by step.

Dargahli said the reforms in the Azerbaijani Armed Forces have created an opportunity to improve the defense system and governance, to raise the combat readiness.

He said the army is released from the functions- a variety of economic, security and service tasks that don't belong to it, participates only in the solution of the issues related to the combat readiness.