Azernews.Az

By Vugar Khalilov

The Azerbaijani, Turkish and Pakistani special forces' joint international drills Three Brothers - 2021 are underway in Baku, the Defence Ministry reported on September 13.

Under the drills plan, the special forces units carried out practical shootings using small arms and grenade launchers, the report added.

The drills aim to improve the coordination among the special forces units of friendly and partner countries during combat operations, prepare for operations in peacetime and wartime, exchange knowledge and experience.

The Three Brothers - 2021 international drills will last until September 20.

During the 44-day war with Armenia in 2020, Turkey and Pakistan were among the first countries voicing political support for Azerbaijan. The two fraternal countries also support Azerbaijan in the restoration of the country's liberated territories.

Furthermore, the parliaments of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Pakistan have signed the Baku Declaration on cooperation. The document was signed following the trilateral meeting held by speakers of the three countries’ parliaments on July 27, 2021.

On June 15, 2021, Azerbaijan and Turkey signed a memorandum of alliance that cemented the existing military, political and economic cooperation.

The Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations that President Ilham Aliyev and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed during the first official visit to Shusha eight months after Azerbaijan’s victory in the war with Armenia, also focuses on defence cooperation.

It affirms joint efforts by the two armies in the face of foreign threats. The declaration also pledges joint efforts for the restructuring and modernization of the armed forces. Moreover, the two nations affirm to encourage the execution of joint projects with the aim of developing capabilities in the field of sea, air, and space.

In the winter of 2014, during the fifth meeting of the working group on military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Pakistan in the city of Islamabad, the countries signed an agreement on mutual military cooperation.

Over the past decade, Pakistani military experts trained about a hundred Azerbaijani military units.

Azerbaijan is holding talks with Pakistan to purchase JF-17 Thunder multirole fighter aircraft. In October 2016 President Aliyev and PM Sharif confirmed plans to carry out joint military exercises.

Furthermore, the parliaments of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Pakistan have signed the Baku Declaration on cooperation. The document was signed following the trilateral meeting held by speakers of the three countries’ parliaments on July 27, 2021.

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