Senior Italian military officials receive comprehensive tour around Azerbaijan's defence agencies PHOTO
An Italian delegation comprised of high-ranking defence officials have paid a visit to Azerbaijan where they have been welcomed by their defence counterparts for a comprehensive tour to acquaint themselves with the country’s defence ecosystem.
The First Deputy Minister of Defence and Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijan Army, Colonel General Karim Valiyev received the visiting delegation headed by the Chief of Defence of the Italian Armed Forces, General Luciano Portolano, on July 23, Caliber.Az reports citing the ministry's press statement.
Following their meeting, the Italian delegation paid a visit to the Alley of Martyr to honour those that sacrificed their lives for the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, as well as to the Eternal Flame monument.
After their visit to this site, the Italian delegation was escorted to the nearby located headquarters of the General Staff of Azerbaijan's Army, where the national anthems of both countries were performed.
After the official welcoming ceremony, Colonel General Karim Valiyev expressed his joy of being able to welcome his Italian counterpart to Azerbaijan. Emphasizing the significance of the existing military relations between Azerbaijan and Italy, the Chief of the General Staff highlighted the value of such visits in terms of fostering mutual exchange of experience.
Expressing gratitude for the warm welcome and hospitality, General Luciano Portolano conveyed his satisfaction with the current state of cooperation between the two countries, affirming its positive contribution to the progress of both armies.
Their meeting focused around the to further enhance the cooperation between Azerbaijan and Italy in the fields of military, defence industry, and military education, as well as on various other issues. Both sides expressed their confidence that this goal will be achieved.
Following these meetings, the Italian delegation was invited to visit the Cybersecurity Center, where the guests got acquainted with the activities carried out to ensure the cybersecurity of modern weapon systems and information technology equipment adopted into the Azerbaijan Army’s armament. Additionally, the delegation was informed about the modern cybersecurity tools powered by artificial intelligence that are being implemented.
The next destination in the tour around Azerbaijan's defence-related organizations was the Air Force Combat Control Center, where the Italian guests received a comprehensive briefing on the center’s organizational structure, operational principles, and key areas of activity.
The Italian delegation was subsequently also invited to visit one military unit belonging to the Special Forces. Within the course of this stop, the envoys honoured the memory of Azerbaijan's National Leader, Heydar Aliyev by laying flowers to a monument dedicated to him as well as to another one honouring the memory of Martyrs that are both located within the grounds of the military unit. The Italian guests were provided with detailed information regarding the military unit. The final activity of this visit included the performance of a drill combat training conducted by members of Azerbaijan's Special Forces.
By Nazrin Sadigova