Azerbaijani commandos and their Turkish colleagues have launched joint military exercises Thursday, the Defence Ministry reported.
The commandos from the two neighbouring countries kicked off the exercises in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku as it was planned in an agreement on military cooperation between Ankara and Baku. The two fraternal nations will last the drills until Sept. 12, the Azeri ministry said.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan have signed the joint declaration in Azerbaijan’s historic city of Shusha in June. The city known as the pearl of Nagorno Karabakh became the place for signing the historical declaration, which assures to expand and deepen joint efforts and cooperation in the fight against terrorism, organized crime, drug trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking, illegal migration and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Karabakh was liberated last year from nearly three decades of occupation by Armenian forces. The military exercises focus on promoting stability and prosperity in the region and establishing new transportation routes.
“The main objective of the exercises held with the participation of Azerbaijani and Turkish servicemen is to improve the interoperability of the units of the two countries’ armies during combat operations, to develop the military decision-making skills among the commanders and their ability to control units,” the Azerbaijani side added.
According to the action plan, during the drills, the different strategic and tactic tasks will be conducted, including underwater attack and defence operations. The Turkish Defense Ministry confirmed the joint training of the Underwater Demolition Team servicemen.
The two nations also affirmed to encourage the execution of joint projects with the aim of developing capabilities in the field of sea, air and space.
