EDnews reports that President Ilham Aliyev made this statement during a meeting with a NATO delegation in Baku.
During his remarks, the Head of State addressed issues of cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO in areas such as regional development, energy security, and other fields. He emphasized that Azerbaijan is carrying out close cooperation with the Turkish Armed Forces to bring its army into compliance with NATO standards.
Speaking to EDnews on the matter, political analyst Məhəmməd Əsədullazadə noted that since Azerbaijan began its partnership with NATO, the country has participated in a number of the Alliance’s programs:
“Our country has also contributed to the peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan. Currently, a new global political order is taking shape, and NATO is developing its strategic approach toward the South Caucasus region. While Azerbaijan’s membership in NATO is not currently on the agenda, consistent reforms have been carried out for many years to align the Armed Forces with NATO standards.
Military cooperation with Türkiye plays a particularly important role in this process. Türkiye, being both a NATO member and one of the world’s most powerful armies, provides valuable experience that is being implemented in Azerbaijan as well. I believe that within the next five years, the Azerbaijani Army will fully transition to NATO standards.”
According to the political analyst, the combat strategy used during the Second Karabakh War was also a reflection of compliance with NATO standards:
“The operations, tactics, and command models employed by the Azerbaijani Army during the war clearly demonstrated alignment with NATO practices. The ongoing creation of commando units, personnel training, strengthening of discipline, and modernization of armaments in our country are all part of this reform process.
NATO, in turn, has shown interest in Azerbaijan’s progress in this field. President Ilham Aliyev’s continued attention and support for the modernization of the Armed Forces remain the key driving forces behind the development of the Azerbaijani Army.”
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