Azernews.Az

By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijani Defense Minister Col-Gen Zakir Hasanov attended the opening ceremony of the Saha Expo Defense and Aerospace Exhibition in Istanbul on October 25, Azernews reports, citing the ministry.

During the exhibition, Hasanov met with leaders of the Turkish defense companies, such as ROKETSAN, BAYKAR, TUALCOM, and ASELSAN, as well as familiarized himself with showcased samples of state-of-the-art weaponry and combat equipment.

National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, as well as a number of states and government officials from Turkiye and other countries, attended the exhibition.

On the margins of the defense expo on October 25, Hasanov and Akar met to discuss the ongoing growth of cooperation in the military, military-technical, military-educational, and other domains, as well as regional security challenges.

In an interview on the sidelines of the event, Hasanov said that Azerbaijan is interested in the majority of the weaponry displayed at the Saha Expo in Turkiye, and numerous contracts have already been inked in this regard, Azernews reports, via the local media.

"We reviewed and held discussions. I'd like to emphasize that Turkiye has done an outstanding job in the manufacturing of weaponry in recent years, which makes us very delighted," Hasanov stressed.

The minister added that a number of projects have been completed to apply the Turkish model in the Azerbaijan Army.

"We have completed the majority of the tasks. The organization and status structure have evolved, as has the system, particularly management. It has been effectively implemented. It was especially evident in the latest clashes [with Armenia]," Hasanov emphasized.

Furthermore, Hasanov also met with his Hungarian counterpart Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky as part of his visit to Turkiye, the ministry said in a separate report.

The ministers discussed the prospects for the military cooperation between the two nations, as well as other matters of mutual interest, it added.

The Saha Expo defense and aerospace exhibition, hosted by Saha Istanbul, Turkey and Europe's largest industrial cluster with 876 companies and 24 universities, is taking place on October 25-28.

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