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news.az, Azerbaijan
May 3 2011
Azerbaijani soldiers 'ready to fight' - Defence Ministry
Tue 03 May 2011 12:47 GMT | 15:47 Local Time
Defence Ministry spokesman Lt-Col Eldar Sabiroglu has said that
Azerbaijani soldiers are ready to fight to regain Azerbaijani
territory.
He made the comments in a wide-ranging interview published in official
newspaper, Azerbaijan, on Tuesday.
Sabiroglu emphasized that the Azerbaijani army was ready to gain
victory over the occupying country, meaning Armenia.
Morale
He said that morale in the Azerbaijani army was a priority for the
Defence Ministry.
"Let's have a look at our recent past, when the absence [during the
Karabakh war] of a single command and control system made it much more
difficult for us to change the situation at the front in our favour.
As a result, decreased morale amongst our soldiers was one of the
reasons for the occupation of our land.
`The situation in the army in this regard changed for the better after
national leader Heydar Aliyev came to power,' Sabiroglu said.
`The supreme commander-in-chief, President Ilham Aliyev, is
successfully continuing the line set by Heydar Aliyev. Ilham Aliyev
has visited the frontline regions numerous times where he talked and
shared bread with soldiers. The soldiers are glad to sit alongside the
commander-in-chief in the trenches. This raises overall morale,"
Sabiroglu said.
He cited the bravery of Warrant Officer Mubariz Ibrahimov, killed in a
clash with Armenian forces in June, for entering an unequal battle in
which he destroyed a large number of enemy troops and died heroically.
"The letter Mubariz Ibrahimov sent to his parents before he died shows
that he had high spirit. Then, to take Mubariz's body from the
battlefield, the two officers - Farid Ahmadov and Ahmad Abdullayev -
bravely fought and inflicted damage on the enemy and died heroically.
`There are thousands such heroes in our army. This is not just a
slogan or simply words. This shows that the Azerbaijani soldier is
ready to fight,' Sabiroglu added.
International cooperation
The Defence Ministry spokesman said that Azerbaijan made extensive use
of international experience in military reforms and army-building.
"In recent years the Defence Ministry has achieved significant results
in establishing bilateral and multilateral cooperation with
international organizations and countries. Azerbaijan enjoys military
cooperation with 28 countries on the basis of memorandums and
agreements and is discussing similar agreements with another 28
countries," Sabiroglu said.
Azerbaijani soldiers and officers attended a total of 276 specialized
courses, working meetings, conferences, visits and talks in Azerbaijan
or other countries in 2010 as part of that bilateral cooperation.
"Some 1,300 representatives of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces took part
in these events, while around 1,000 soldiers took part in 150 events
as part of NATO programs. This year 123 events are to be held as part
of NATO's Individual Partnership Action Plan, 11 of which will be in
Azerbaijan," Sabiroglu said.
On Azerbaijan's involvement in the ISAF forces in Afghanistan, he
said: "Ninety Azerbaijani servicemen are successfully serving in
peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan and Defence Minister Safar
Abiyev has received many letters of thanks for their excellent service
from the coalition forces command.
"This is just a small part of the programs we are carrying out in the
army. The involvement of Azerbaijan's Defence Ministry in
international military events, programs and projects is growing and
the international authority of the Azerbaijani army is growing in
tandem."
1news.az
From: A. Papazian
May 3 2011
Azerbaijani soldiers 'ready to fight' - Defence Ministry
Tue 03 May 2011 12:47 GMT | 15:47 Local Time
Defence Ministry spokesman Lt-Col Eldar Sabiroglu has said that
Azerbaijani soldiers are ready to fight to regain Azerbaijani
territory.
He made the comments in a wide-ranging interview published in official
newspaper, Azerbaijan, on Tuesday.
Sabiroglu emphasized that the Azerbaijani army was ready to gain
victory over the occupying country, meaning Armenia.
Morale
He said that morale in the Azerbaijani army was a priority for the
Defence Ministry.
"Let's have a look at our recent past, when the absence [during the
Karabakh war] of a single command and control system made it much more
difficult for us to change the situation at the front in our favour.
As a result, decreased morale amongst our soldiers was one of the
reasons for the occupation of our land.
`The situation in the army in this regard changed for the better after
national leader Heydar Aliyev came to power,' Sabiroglu said.
`The supreme commander-in-chief, President Ilham Aliyev, is
successfully continuing the line set by Heydar Aliyev. Ilham Aliyev
has visited the frontline regions numerous times where he talked and
shared bread with soldiers. The soldiers are glad to sit alongside the
commander-in-chief in the trenches. This raises overall morale,"
Sabiroglu said.
He cited the bravery of Warrant Officer Mubariz Ibrahimov, killed in a
clash with Armenian forces in June, for entering an unequal battle in
which he destroyed a large number of enemy troops and died heroically.
"The letter Mubariz Ibrahimov sent to his parents before he died shows
that he had high spirit. Then, to take Mubariz's body from the
battlefield, the two officers - Farid Ahmadov and Ahmad Abdullayev -
bravely fought and inflicted damage on the enemy and died heroically.
`There are thousands such heroes in our army. This is not just a
slogan or simply words. This shows that the Azerbaijani soldier is
ready to fight,' Sabiroglu added.
International cooperation
The Defence Ministry spokesman said that Azerbaijan made extensive use
of international experience in military reforms and army-building.
"In recent years the Defence Ministry has achieved significant results
in establishing bilateral and multilateral cooperation with
international organizations and countries. Azerbaijan enjoys military
cooperation with 28 countries on the basis of memorandums and
agreements and is discussing similar agreements with another 28
countries," Sabiroglu said.
Azerbaijani soldiers and officers attended a total of 276 specialized
courses, working meetings, conferences, visits and talks in Azerbaijan
or other countries in 2010 as part of that bilateral cooperation.
"Some 1,300 representatives of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces took part
in these events, while around 1,000 soldiers took part in 150 events
as part of NATO programs. This year 123 events are to be held as part
of NATO's Individual Partnership Action Plan, 11 of which will be in
Azerbaijan," Sabiroglu said.
On Azerbaijan's involvement in the ISAF forces in Afghanistan, he
said: "Ninety Azerbaijani servicemen are successfully serving in
peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan and Defence Minister Safar
Abiyev has received many letters of thanks for their excellent service
from the coalition forces command.
"This is just a small part of the programs we are carrying out in the
army. The involvement of Azerbaijan's Defence Ministry in
international military events, programs and projects is growing and
the international authority of the Azerbaijani army is growing in
tandem."
1news.az
From: A. Papazian