(MENAFN- AzerNews)
Akbar Novruz
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After gaining independence, Azerbaijan managed to achieve a
continuous progress. Azerbaijan, which pursues an independent
policy, has chosen the path of development despite international
and regional pressures.
In his address before Milli Majlis (Parliament of Azerbaijan),
President Ilham Aliyev outlined the future strategies of
Azerbaijan, with a particular focus on enhancing military
capabilities, fortifying national borders, and mitigating emerging
geopolitical threats. These strategic initiatives underscore
Azerbaijan's persistent endeavours to adapt to a global milieu
characterized, as noted by President Aliyev, by the breakdown of
international law and the erosion of the global security framework,
necessitating a proactive stance towards national defense and
sovereignty.
New realities require new strategies
The head of state emphasized that the military power of
Azerbaijan and Armenia is not comparable.
"In the time after the Second Garabagh War, we have
significantly increased our military capacity, new armed units have
been created and the number of special forces has been increased
several times. New special forces and commando units have been set
up, and their number will increase year by year," President Aliyev
said.
The President also highlighted the rise of revanchist
forces in Armenia , both among fringe political groups and
the current Armenian leadership, which continues to live in "dreams
of revanchism." He remarked, "The countries standing behind
Armenia, their activities, their decisions, resolutions, statements
- all this shows that this dirty game against us is not over
yet." These external forces, he pointed out, have attempted to
prevent Azerbaijan from fully reaping the benefits of its post-war
victory, "The countries standing behind Armenia, their
activities, decisions, resolutions, statements - all this shows
that this dirty game against Azerbaijan is not over yet. Foreign
circles that cannot digest our Victory are preparing new plans
against us."
President Ilham Aliyev laid out a clear strategy for
self-sufficiency in military production , stating
that Azerbaijan has initiated large-scale modernization in its
military industrial complex. "We are conducting modernization work
in our military factories and producing new weapons and
ammunition," he said, stressing that this strategy reduces
dependency on foreign suppliers and enhances Azerbaijan's capacity
to export military products . This move also
fosters local innovation, creating thousands of new jobs and
boosting the national economy.
Securing Borders and Regional Stability: Azerbaijan's
red line
The security of the state begins far from the borders and
becomes a critical line once it reaches the border. It extends
inland.
Border protection is crucial for ensuring the integrity and
sovereignty of the country. After gaining independence, Azerbaijan
focused on reconstructing its border areas. The broken border areas
with neighboring countries have been rebuilt, and engineering and
technical facilities have been installed. Issues with neighboring
Russia, Iran, and Georgia have been resolved through negotiations
between relevant institutions. However, there are frequent attempts
by illegal drug smugglers from Iran to cross into Azerbaijan.
Illegal activities also occur on the borders of Russia and Georgia.
This highlights the urgent need to equip the borders with modern
infrastructure, especially in the case of Armenia.
The President also addressed the issue of border
security , especially along Azerbaijan's 500-km border with
Armenia. He explained the challenges posed by the rugged terrain,
stating, "Some of our service areas are located at an altitude
of over 3,000 meters. Despite this, our military positions along
the border are being reinforced. We are strengthening the
conditional border because any provocation can be expected from
Armenia at any moment."
Therefore, although keeping the land borders closed
currently causes certain difficulties, it is considered a more
realistic measure for ensuring internal security because the
security of the state and citizens is more important than all other
interests.
Addressing Geopolitical Challenges
Current geopolitical profile of the world is indeed miserable.
The ongoing situation in the regions such as Middle East, Eastern
Europe and even South Caucasus demonstrates how the World system
diminished itself from its past "glorfying", less conflictual days.
At the core of President Aliyev's vision is the continuous
strengthening of Azerbaijan's military capabilities, driven by the
evolving global power dynamics and security threats. As he noted,
the collapse of international law and the erosion of post-WWII
security architecture have created a world where "might is right."
He stated that this principle prevails, and some major states are
not even hiding this at all."In fact, we have been conducting a
policy in this direction for many years. During the occupation,
increasing our military strength was always our primary
objective."
For information, note that the likelihood of a new military
conflict in the region is significantly increased by the
strengthening of the France and India's strategic partnership with
Armenia, under the pretext of which the countries conduct military
exercises with Yerevan, thereby raising the level of the Armenian
Armed Forces. Of course, Armenia, putting aside its revanchist and
expansionist policies, could also seize a unique chance to improve
its country's development by signing a peace agreement with
Azerbaijan and following Baku's peace agenda. Unfortunately, this
is not happening so far. So it is indeed time for Armenia to act,
instead of giving false hopes by statements toward peace. So as the
head of state emphasized, Armenia should officially end its
territorial claims against Azerbaijan and make amendments to its
constitution. Cause, Azerbaijan is willing to engage in bilateral
cooperation with any country based on mutual respect, although it
will not tolerate dictation, accusations, or blackmail.
Nevertheless, Azerbaijan's readiness to neutralize any threats
to its sovereignty, serve as a broader strategy of self-reliance
and resilience, as the country continues to navigate its way
through a complex web of geopolitical threats, both from Armenia
and from external powers unhappy with the country's rising
influence.
Strategic Blueprint for the Future: Only way is moving
forward!
The main keynotes are clear as the sky above our head. President
Ilham Aliyev's speech presents a clear and coherent strategy for
securing Azerbaijan's future, focusing on strengthening the
military , securing its borders , and
navigating geopolitical challenges . And
ultimately, as the country prepares to host COP29 ,
it also positions itself as a regional leader, not just in terms of
military and security, but in areas such as environmental diplomacy
and economic growth.
Azerbaijan's commitment to these priorities, as outlined by
President Ilham Aliyev, provides a strategy for navigating the
complex and often hostile geopolitical landscape, ensuring its
sovereignty and security for years to come!
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