(MENAFN- AzerNews) By Dr Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan
Pakistan's Chief of army Staff, Asim Munir's visit to Baku is
aimed at enhancing military-to-military cooperation and defense
collaboration between the two brotherly countries.
During the visit, COAS held detailed meetings with Azerbaijan's
military and civil leadership including President H.E. Ilham
Aliyev, the defense minister, 1st deputy Minister chief of general
staff, and the commander of the air force. The matters related to
defense and security cooperation between the two brotherly
countries were thoroughly discussed with an emphasis on enhancing
cooperation in military and professional matters.
The Pak Army chief emphasized enhancing cooperation in the
fields of defense and training. He praised the high morale and
remarkable standard of operational readiness of Azerbaijan's armed
forces.
It is a good omen that the political and military leadership of
Azerbaijan acknowledged the continued support of Pakistan and vowed
to enhance cooperation between the two states and their armed
forces to a new level.
Pakistan supports Azerbaijan's position on Karabakh in line with
the several unanimously adopted United Nations Security Council
resolutions."
In this regard, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev while meeting
with COAS General Asim highlighted the successful strengthening of
friendly and brotherly ties between Pakistan and Azerbaijan across
various sectors, particularly in military collaboration.
President Ilham appreciated the fruitful defense industry
cooperation between the two countries and underscored the
significance of conducting joint military training. Moreover,
reaffirming their commitment to each other's sovereignty and
territorial integrity on the global stage, Azerbaijan's president
reiterated Azerbaijan's enduring support for Pakistan concerning
the issue of occupied Kashmir.
President Ilham expressed optimism that COAS's visit to
Azerbaijan would further solidify the cooperative relationship
between the two countries.
Moreover, Baku and Islamabad had close relations, and their
cooperation is evidence of how strong their alliance is becoming.
High-level military talks and exchanges were held by both parties.
Discussions on military training, experience sharing, and defense
cooperation were frequently covered in these exchanges.
Azerbaijan and Pakistan signed defense agreements that aimed to
foster military cooperation, information sharing, and joint
exercises. These agreements may also be further enhanced through
cooperation in areas such as defense industry, training, and
equipment procurement.
Azerbaijan remains the largest buyer of defense hardware from
Pakistan, such as armored vehicles, small arms, and other military
hardware. Additionally, both countries expressed interest in
working together on counterterrorism initiatives, such as
intelligence sharing and joint operations.
The ongoing visit of Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Asim Munir,
to Baku has great socio-economic, geopolitical and geostrategic
significance in terms of development of the newly liberated areas,
infrastructure development, de-mining operations, mining
exploration, military cooperation/joint military manufacturing,
training, defense education, combined military drills,
anti-terrorism cooperation, and last but not least, further
strengthening of bilateral & trilateral strategic military
cooperation with Azerbaijan and Türkiye.
Moreover, the visit of General Asim has also specific diplomatic
maneuvering/posturing because of increasing bilateral military ties
between Armenia and India. Thus message is loud and clear that
Azerbaijan and Pakistan's close diplomatic ties and military
cooperation are vital for regional peace, stability, and
prosperity.
President H.E. Ilham Aliyev expressed his satisfaction with
Pakistan's political support during the Second Karabakh War with
Armenia which vividly reflects the strategic importance of both
countries' diplomatic, political, economic and military cooperation
guaranteeing regional peace and mitigating any external ill designs
of dark forces mainly Armenia and India.
During a meeting with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Asim
Munir, in Baku, President Aliyev praised Islamabad for its
brotherly attitude, specifically for refusing to establish
diplomatic ties with Armenia due to its occupation of Azerbaijani
lands from 1991 to 2020 which demonstrates Pakistan's strong
support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan.
Throughout the 44-day Parotic War, Pakistan authorities,
including former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee
General Nadeem Raza and the Foreign Ministry of Islamabad, voiced
full support for Azerbaijan's position on the conflict, in line
with the adopted UN resolutions.
Most recently, Pakistan has also extended its moral, political,
and diplomatic support to the Azerbaijan Armed Forces during its
anti-terror to disarm Armenian army formations and separatist
troops in the Karabakh region in September 2023. The Foreign
Ministry of Pakistan stated that Islamabad considered the Karabakh
region the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan, and Baku's efforts to
demilitarize the region were within its legitimate rights.
In September 2021, the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and
Pakistan jointly conducted their first-ever joint drills, known as
“Three Brothers-2021,” in Baku. Both sides have also signed the
Shusha declaration. Obviously, three countries are also jointly
working for the joint venture of the 5th Generation
Hybrid Fighter Plane which would be a regional equalizer in the
days to come.
During the 44-day offensive operations, Azerbaijani forces
liberated over 300 settlements, including the cities of Jabrayil,
Fuzuli, Zangilan, Gubadli, and Shusha, from nearly 30 years of
illegal Armenian occupation. The war concluded with the signing of
a statement on November 10, 2020, under which Armenia also returned
the occupied Aghdam, Kalbajar, and Lachin districts to
Azerbaijan.
After the visit of Chief of the General Asim prospects of
further strengthening of bilateral relations between Pakistan and
Azerbaijan will be strengthened. His visit would be a game changer
in their bilateral relations in the days to come. It hopes that
bilateral relations will be further strengthened in diverse sectors
of the economy, politics, investments, food & energy cooperation,
military cooperation, joint drills, training, and last but not
least air force cooperation.
On its part, Pakistan has been assisting Azerbaijan in terms of
military and air force training in Pakistan. Both countries have
been in serious negotiations for the sale of JF-17 Thunder-III with
Azerbaijan which is now at an advanced stage. Both countries have
been extending their expertise in modern warfare which proved
terminal in the 2nd War of Karbakah.
In the past, former Pakistan Chiefs of Air Forces, Naval, and
General Nadeem Raz paid personal visits to Baku and extended their
support for the mutually befitting propositions of resettlement,
redevelopment, reinvestments, and reconstruction of all the newly
liberated areas of the Karabakh Region.
Furthermore, the Azerbaijan Naval Commander visited Pakistan and
met with Naval and armed Forces chiefs and discussed matters of
mutual interest pertaining to regional peace and stability which
has now further strengthened the scope, domain, and prospects of
air force and naval cooperation between two the two countries.
Even the Director General of FWO paid visit to Baku and explored
various avenues of cooperation in infrastructural projects,
cleaning of deadly landmines and prospective cooperation in gold
mining.
In the past, Pakistan and Azerbaijan signed the“Bilateral
Military Cooperation Agreement” which consequently geared up
military cooperation between two countries.
Critical analysis reveals that Azerbaijan and Pakistan hold
relatively similar weaponry and military vehicle systems which
would be common bench mark to proceed further. It is suggested that
proposed military cooperation may also include regular military
exercises between the comparable services of both armed forces.
Exchange of valuable strategic information as well as common
approaches towards the territorial armed conflict postures can be a
natural extension in improving bilateral relations in defence.
There is an immense potential of joint ventures in the
production of war drones, unmanned fighter jets, submarines,
missile technology and light arms which should be initiated as soon
as possible.
It is, therefore, important for Pakistan to seriously move
forward for the imports of military equipment (fighter aircraft,
tanks or rockets) to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan's Istiglal
anti-material rifles and other small arms are also ideal for use in
mountainous and tough terrains. Pakistan should consider including
them in its basket given their competitive price, high quality and
efficiency.
The two countries should also extend cooperation in the area of
arms trade and develop a framework of sales of small arms and heavy
military equipment according to the needs of each state in order to
address the specific needs of the security sector. This framework
can include bartering of arms based on“preferred customer”
program, thus, reducing budgetary expenditures.
The author of the article is an Executive Director: The
Center for South & International Studies (CSIS) Islamabad
Regional Expert: China, CPEC & BRI
MENAFN02112023000195011045ID1107362744