Azerbaijan-Slovakia defence talks highlight military, technical, and cyber collaboration photo

On October 9, Colonel General Kerim Veliyev, First Deputy Minister of Defence and Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijani Army, met with a delegation from Slovakia led by General Daniel Zmeko, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic, who is on an official visit to Azerbaijan.

According to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence, cited by Caliber.Az, the visit began with the Slovak delegation visiting the Alley of Honour. There, they laid a wreath and flowers at the graves of Azerbaijan’s National Leader, Heydar Aliyev and the prominent ophthalmologist and academician Zarifa Aliyeva, honouring their memory.

The delegation subsequently visited Victory Park and laid a wreath at the memorial monument dedicated to the Victory.

At the official ceremony held at the General Staff of the Azerbaijani Army, the chiefs of the General Staff of both countries inspected the honour guard. National anthems of Azerbaijan and Slovakia were performed, and in line with protocol, General Zmeko left a commemorative entry in the “Guest Book of Honour.”

During the meeting, Colonel General Kerim Veliyev welcomed the delegation and expressed satisfaction at their visit to Azerbaijan. He emphasised the wide potential for cooperation between Azerbaijan and Slovakia in the military, military-technical, and military-educational spheres.

In turn, General Daniel Zmeko expressed gratitude for the warm reception and hospitality, noting that such visits are significant for strengthening bilateral military cooperation and the development of the armed forces of both nations. The meeting also included an extensive exchange of views on a range of defence-related issues of mutual interest.

Following the official meeting, the Slovak delegation visited the Cybersecurity Centre. There, they received detailed briefings on measures to ensure cybersecurity for modern weapon systems and information technology deployed by the Azerbaijani Army. The delegation was also introduced to AI-based cyber defence tools used to counter cyber threats.

As part of the official visit, the Slovak delegation also toured the Air Force Command Centre. They were briefed on the centre’s structure, operational principles, and areas of activity.

Additionally, the delegation visited an Air Force unit, where they were provided with a detailed presentation about the unit, including demonstrations of aviation and technical equipment currently in service with the Azerbaijani military.

By Tamilla Hasanova