Baku, January 28, AZERTAC

Under the leadership of Azerbaijan`s Minister of Defense, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, a meeting of the board session of the Ministry of Defense on the results of 2021 was held on January 28, the Ministry told AZERTAC.

The meeting was attended by deputy ministers, commanders of troops, heads of the Main Department, departments, special educational institutions, services and independent departments of the ministry. Commanders of the Army Corps and formations stationed in the liberated territories and other responsible officers were involved in the meeting via video teleconference.

The memory of national leader Heydar Aliyev and Azerbaijani martyrs was honored with observing a minute of silence.

The First Deputy Minister of Defense - Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijan Army, Colonel General Karim Valiyev delivered a detailed report on the reforms carried out last year on the instructions of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in the field of army development, increasing the combat capability, operational and combat training, weapons and military equipment supply, logistic support of troops, effective use of professional military personnel, as well as, moral-psychological training of military personnel and achievements in other spheres.

Colonel General Karim Valiyev noted that during the reporting period, the Azerbaijan Army conducted various types of military exercises, combat training, increased the combat capability of the troops, and increased the professionalism of the personnel. Construction work has been carried out in the military units deployed in the liberated territories, new military facilities have been commissioned, and important steps have been taken to improve the social and living conditions of military personnel.

He added that organizational and structural changes were made in the General Staff and the central administration of the Ministry of Defense in general, as well as in the headquarters of types of troops. The Land Forces Command, a new Army Corps, as well as formations and operational (commando) units, and other subunits have been established and their operational capabilities have been expanded.

At the meeting of the board session, Deputy Defense of Minister - Commander of the Combined Arms Army, Colonel General Kerem Mustafayev, Deputy Defense Minister -Chief of the Main Department of Logistics Lieutenant General Nizam Osmanov, Deputy Defense Minister - Commander of the Land Forces, Lieutenant General Anvar Afandiyev, Deputy Defense Minister - Commander of the Air Force, Lieutenant General Ramiz Tahirov made a report on the training exercises and other measures taken in 2021 to increase the combat capability, the organization of service and combat readiness, as well as, maintaining a high level of combat readiness of personnel.

In his closing speech, Minister of Defense Colonel General Zakir Hasanov summed up the results of service and combat training in 2021 and spoke about the main tasks ahead in the 2022 training year.

The minister emphasized attention, and care rendered by President Ilham Aliyev to the Azerbaijani Army and noted the progress achieved under the command of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief in recent years.

He noted that in 2022, as in previous years, the main attention was focused on the solution of several important tasks set to the Azerbaijan Army by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

The minister noted that the analysis of the service and combat activities of the Azerbaijan Army in 2021 showed that all the tasks have been fulfilled in full.

During the session, it was noted that special attention was paid to the development and improvement of the Land Forces, the Combined Arms Army, the Air Force, the Naval Forces, and the Special Forces.

Colonel General Zakir Hasanov stressed that carrying out further military reforms and increase of the combat capability of troops, including operational capabilities, will be a priority in 2022.

Having analyzed the activities carried out by the Azerbaijan Army last year, the Defense Minister, brought to the attention the issues of combat training, the moral-psychological state of the military personnel and comprehensive provision of the defense system including strict control of the operational situation on the state border. The minister gave relevant instructions to the command staff in regard with the fulfillment of the main tasks facing the Army in 2022.

The draft decision of the board session was discussed and adopted.