Azerbaijan – Kazakhstan: Military vector in bilateral relations Training, intelligence, and joint operations

One of the significant outcomes of April 2025 can confidently be described as the strengthening of mutual understanding between Baku and Astana regarding the enhancement of the defence capabilities of both countries. On April 10, the defence ministries of the two countries held staff-level talks in Kazakhstan as part of preparations for the joint naval exercises "Caspian Breeze 2025," the scenario of which involved the deployment of ships for joint sailing operations at sea.

On April 18, representatives of the Kazakhstan Air Force held a meeting in Baku with their Azerbaijani counterparts, during which issues related to ensuring coordination and cooperation during urgent flights were discussed. On the same day, a delegation led by the commander of Kazakhstan's airborne assault forces visited the commando and special forces units of Azerbaijan.

Overall, these nuances represent a logical continuation of mutual understanding between the countries in the mentioned direction. In this context, it is worth noting that in June 2024, Astana and Baku signed an Agreement on Cooperation in Military Intelligence in the Defence Sector for a period of five years. Among the signed provisions were the mutual exchange of military intelligence regarding terrorist and extremist organisations, military-political events of mutual interest, and the organisation of joint combat training activities for personnel of the authorised agencies in both countries, among others.

The following month, joint exercises took place in Kazakhstan with Azerbaijan, as well as with Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan ("Bіrlestіk-2024") aimed at neutralising a simulated enemy. During the training manoeuvres, the military worked through 17 tactical episodes focused on detecting, blocking, and eliminating illegal armed groups.

A month later, in the mountains of the Dzungarian Alatau, the joint tactical-special exercises of Kazakhstan's airborne assault forces and Azerbaijan's special forces, "Altyn Kyran-2024" ("Golden Eagle-2024"), took place for the first time. These exercises involved the implementation of reconnaissance tasks in mountainous terrain with a complex landscape, including the detection and neutralisation of illegal armed groups.

In September of the same year, Kazakhstan's Minister of Defence, Ruslan Zhaksylykov, participated in the 5th Azerbaijan International Defence Exhibition "ADEX."

In the context under discussion, it is worth noting that the growing military rapprochement between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan clearly aligns with the direction discussed within the framework of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS). This is supported by a statement made by Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev at the 10th OTS Summit in Astana (2023), where he highlighted that "today, the norms of international law are being flagrantly violated across different parts of the world," leading to wars and bloody conflicts. As a result, "primarily, the countries’ defense capability becomes [...] main security guarantee" of OTS member states. In this regard, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that cooperation between OTS member states in the areas of security, defense, and the defense industry "must be ramped up."

At the 11th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) in Bishkek (2024), Azerbaijan's leader Ilham Aliyev, noting the increasing threats in the world, once again addressed the importance of cooperation in the areas of defence, security, and the defence industry. Furthermore, the President of Azerbaijan, emphasising the expansion of cooperation between law enforcement and security agencies of OTS member states, specified the conduct of military exercises involving the armed forces of the countries. In the context of mutual trust and friendship, he highlighted the fact of training cadets from fraternal countries in Azerbaijan's military educational institutions.

In this context, particular attention is drawn to the points from the "Karabakh Declaration," signed in 2024 in Shusha (within the framework of the informal OTS summit), which recorded the parties' confirmation of the importance of utilizing the full potential and capabilities of Turkic states not only in the political-economic, transportation, and humanitarian-educational-cultural fields, but also in the defense-industrial sector — with the aim of further strengthening and deepening their strategic partnership and forming a collective strategy for the OTS. At the same time, OTS member states confirmed their intention to continue joint activities in the defence-industrial complex in accordance with the national legislation of the member states, assigning the relevant authorities to take the necessary measures.

Thus, the development of the military vector in Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan relations has both its history and prospects. In the context of the current geopolitical turbulence that has affected almost all global regions, this becomes an urgent necessity of the present period. Both Baku and Astana confidently demonstrate an understanding of the structure of the historical stage they are experiencing.