President: Azerbaijan exports military products to about 20 countries

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has stated that Azerbaijan has significantly expanded its domestic defence industry and now exports military products to around 20 countries, underlining the country’s focus on strength, self-reliance, and post-war military modernisation.

“Last year, we produced military products worth 1.4 billion manats. Most of it was supplied to the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, and some was exported. Today, Azerbaijan exports military products to about 20 countries,” President Ilham Aliyev said during an interview with local television channels on January 5, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

The head of state noted that a key innovation in the defence sector has been the establishment of joint ventures with major international defence companies.

“One of the innovations is that we have created joint ventures in Azerbaijan with large and internationally renowned defense industry companies. This includes the production of unmanned aerial vehicles, artillery installations, other vehicles, as well as weapons and ammunition,” he said.

President Aliyev recalled that when the Ministry of Defense Industry was established 20 years ago, it functioned as a state monopoly, but international experience later prompted a shift towards involving the private sector.

“When the Ministry of Defense Industry was established by my order 20 years ago, we assessed it as a state monopoly at the time. However, over the years, especially when we look at international experience, we have observed that private companies play leading roles in many countries. Moreover, by involving private companies in this work, we could reduce both the burden on the state and the financial aspect. Therefore, over the past two years, opportunities have been provided to private companies alongside state ones,” President Ilham Aliyev said.

Providing details on the scale of private sector involvement, the head of state said that 15 companies have already received licences to operate in the defence industry.

“To date, 15 companies have been granted licenses – of course, this is an area that requires licensing. Seven private companies have already started producing military products. If we look at the volume of investment, we can see that one billion manats were invested in 2024-2025 to create new production sites and expand existing ones. Half of this was invested by the private sector. Again, since this area is somewhat restricted to the public, extensive information is not provided. However, this process has become very widespread,” he added.

President Aliyev stressed that Azerbaijan has continued intensive army-building efforts in the years following the Second Karabakh War.

“Over these five years, we have been actively engaged in army building and, so to speak, have not rested on our laurels after the achievements we gained,” he said.

The head of state emphasised that victory should not lead to complacency.

“The Second Karabakh War, in particular, clearly demonstrated both our strengths and the areas where we must work actively to further improve governance and achieve even better results. Because even if a war ends in victory—and a victorious one like ours—it is always an invaluable experience for drawing conclusions. This is precisely what I was proceeding from,” President Ilham Aliyev stated.

According to the President, Azerbaijan’s victory brought profound political and psychological shifts.

“I think that our victory in the Second Karabakh War shifted very large layers, both in terms of politics and character. Many would probably like to emulate our success, but no one has succeeded,” he said.

At the same time, President Aliyev warned of the devastating nature of war and stressed the importance of peace backed by strength.

“I hope that those who are still fighting today will understand this: war is the worst thing that can happen to a country and to a person. I am saying this with full responsibility. It is the worst thing. The best thing is peace. But in order to have peace, you must be strong, and therefore we will continue to work in this direction,” he noted.

Turning to international law, the head of state said that its norms and principles no longer function effectively.

“Unfortunately, the norms and principles of international law do not function. Azerbaijan was one of the first victims of the failure of international law,” President Ilham Aliyev said.

He recalled that four UN Security Council resolutions demanding the withdrawal of Armenian troops from Azerbaijani territories remained unimplemented for 27 years, stressing that Azerbaijan had to restore its territorial integrity by force.

Recalling the post-war period, President Aliyev noted that the new realities created after the Second Karabakh War have now been accepted globally.

“Over the past five years since the Second Karabakh War the new realities have been accepted by the entire world, including the international community, leading countries, and influential international organizations,” he said, adding: “We do not live in a world based on paper—the UN Charter. We live on the land. Therefore, we must be strong, and this is what we are striving to do. I recommend this to every country.”

President Ilham Aliyev also addressed reports regarding Azerbaijan’s possible participation in international missions in the Gaza Strip.

He noted that it remains unclear who would mandate such missions or how they would be implemented, stressing that Azerbaijan does not intend to take part in “peace enforcement” operations.

“Participation in battles outside Azerbaijan’s borders is not envisaged by me at all,” the President said, underlining that Azerbaijan would not risk the lives and health of its citizens for others.

“When we were in trouble, we were left to our own fate. No one protected us. Furthermore, with all due respect and sympathy for Palestine, Palestine did not particularly protect us either. Yes, there were resolutions from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) supported by everyone. We are grateful to all countries for that, just as Azerbaijan has always supported Palestine and the creation of a Palestinian state in the UN, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the OIC. The Palestinian Embassy operates in Azerbaijan with the support of Azerbaijani financial assistance. Therefore, I have always maintained that the affairs of Arab countries should be resolved by the Arab countries themselves,” President Ilham Aliyev concluded.

By Vugar Khalilov