Azerbaijan, Israel discuss prospects for military, military-technical cooperation PHOTO

Azerbaijani Defence Minister Col Gen Zakir Hasanov and his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant discussed prospects for the development of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel in the military and military-technical fields.

During their official visit to the country, the Israeli delegation came to the Alley of Martyrs and visited the graves of the heroic sons of Azerbaijan who died for the independence and territorial integrity of the country, as well as the National Hero of Azerbaijan, Albert Agarunov, and laid flowers on them, Caliber.Az reports per the Defence Ministry.

A wreath was placed in front of the "Eternal Torch" monument.

Then an official welcoming ceremony was held at the Defence Ministry.

The Israeli defence minister passed in front of the honour guard, the national anthems of both countries were played accompanied by a military band, and the "Book of Honour" was signed in accordance with the protocol.

Furthermore, Hasanov greeted his Israeli colleague and said that he was happy to see him in the country. He noted that the high level of partnership between the two countries plays an important role not only in the development of the countries but also in ensuring security in the entire region.

In turn, Gallant, who expressed his satisfaction with his first visit to Azerbaijan as the defence minister and the sincere meeting, emphasised that Azerbaijan-Israel relations are based on friendship and mutual trust, and noted the necessity of such meetings and mutual visits in terms of further development of military cooperation.

At the meeting, the sides discussed the importance of further strengthening strategic relations and expansion of security relations.

Azerbaijan has been one of the major importers of defence products from Israel for many years. In 2014-2018 and 2018-2022, according to data compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the second-largest importer of Israel-made arms was Azerbaijan. In 2016-2020, the purchases from Israel, one of the world’s top eight arms exporters, made up 69 per cent of Azerbaijan’s arms imports.

In 2016, President Aliyev revealed that the contracts between Azerbaijan and Israeli companies with respect to purchasing of defence equipment were close to $5 billion.

Among the major arms supplied by Israel are loitering munitions, reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), guided missiles, and ballistic missiles produced by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Elbit, Rafael, and other Israeli defence companies.

Azerbaijani authorities confirmed the use of Israeli-made “suicide” drones in the 2020 war with Armenia in the Karabakh region, the internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan.

Harop loitering munitions, known also as “kamikaze drones,” have reportedly had a great impact on giving the Azerbaijani army a clear edge over Armenia’s troops on the battlefields. Azerbaijani forces were also seen deploying the Israeli-made LORA operational-tactical missile system during the war.