Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.12
By Ilkin Izzet - Trend:
Taking into account that Azerbaijan is in a state of war with Armenia, there is a need to strengthen the country's defensibility, Azerbaijan's Defense Industry Minister Yaver Jamalov said Sept.12.
He made the remarks during the conference on 'The modern warfare methods and security challenges' that kicked off in Baku Sept.12 as part of the ADEX-2014 Azerbaijan International Defence Industry Exhibition.
The minister underscored that 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories are under occupation and over one million Azerbaijani citizens have become refugees and IDPs as a result of the Armenian aggression continuing for more than 20 years.
Jamalov went on to add that founded in 2005, Azerbaijan's Defense Industry Ministry constantly expands cooperation with foreign countries in the defense industry sphere.
Yaver Jamalov said the ministry has established cooperation with 34 countries in this sphere and expressed hope that their number will increase after the ADEX-2014 exhibition.
"The Defense Industry Ministry has done significant work in the sphere of reconstruction and creating of new enterprises subordinated to it," he added.
Jamalov went on to add that the production volume of the ministry's enterprises increased by 28 times in 2013, compared to 2005.
"The ministry prepared the current and long-term plans for the production of defense products, purchased and installed more than 1,700 devices," he said.
Jamalov said that around 51 production facilities were established at the plans subordinate to the ministry over the entire period of its activity.
A volume of export operations is steadily growing. Small arms and artillery, unmanned aerial vehicles, armored vehicles are manufactured.
The minister also stressed that Azerbaijan presented 168 types of defense products at the "ADEX-2014" exhibition.
The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense Industry participated in 15 international exhibitions, where it presented the country's products.
Jamalov stressed that 'ADEX-2014' international exhibition will serve to peace and security in the region and invited the conference participants to take part in the second exhibition of products of the defense industry, to be held in Azerbaijan in 2016.
A film about the development of Azerbaijan's defense industry was demonstrated to the conference participants.
The head of the Secretariat of the Turkish Defense Industry Ismail Demir, president of the Center for a New American Security Richard Fontaine, Deputy Minister of the Azerbaijani Defense Industry Yahya Musayev, MKEK CEO Izzet Artunc, "Parmount Group" executive director Ivor Ichikowitz will deliver speech at the conference.
