Internal Troops within the framework of international relations
There are cooperative business relations with related agencies of many foreign countries and with international organizations for the purpose of turning the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan into an organization meeting modern requirements, improvement of military servants’ knowledge and skills, conformance of training and teaching activity to the modern standards, and learning international practice.
Internal Troops Command attaches more particular importance to collaboration with Turkey’s Gendarmerie within the framework of international relations.
On October 31, 1997 a “Protocol about assistance from the Department of Turkish Gendarmerie to the Main Department of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Azerbaijan Republic in training and education and in supply” was signed between the governments of the Republic of Turkey and the Republic of Azerbaijan, and consequently the legal basis of mutual military cooperation has been established between the Gendarmerie General Command and the Internal Troops. According to the relevant Protocol, intense works have been implemented in improvement of training and teaching process in Internal Troops, and in sending the military personnel of the Troops to training courses on different subjects in the Gendarmerie General Command of the Turkey Republic.
During 1997-2013, more than 400 military servants of the Internal Troops have participated in several courses and academic educational programs in the training and teaching centers of both the Gendarmerie General Command and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Turkey.
In addition, the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs have cooperative relations with the National Gendarmerie of France, Caribbean Corps of Italy, Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Belarus Republic, armed militia forces of the People's Republic of China and other relevant authorities of other countries.
Broad opportunities were created in learning advanced practice, and in establishment of efficient cooperative relations with relevant authorities of the member countries of NATO by joining of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the “Partnership for Peace” (PfP) Program of the NATO in 1994, the Planning and Analysis Process in 1996, and to the Individual Partnership Action Plans in 2005.
7 partnership goals were taken within the Planning and Analysis Process and the Individual Partnership Action Plans of the NATO in order to develop the Internal Troops of the MIA into an organization meeting modern standards and to further modernize of training of the military personnel.
The Internal Troops of the MIA joined to the Operational Capabilities Concept (OCC) of the NATO in late 2008. It is planned to establish and assess a division meeting OCC standards within the Internal Troops of the MIA.
Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs have efficient cooperative relations with the Baku Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). In recent years, the military personnel together with the police officers have participated in courses and seminars on “management of mass events”, “police duties in a legal state”, “training for trainers” and other subjects in Azerbaijan, Germany, Hungary and Turkey.
The military personnel of the Internal Troops of the MIA together with police officers participate in courses and seminars on “International Human Rights Law“ and “International Humanitarian Law“ held with the initiative of the Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross in the Republic of Azerbaijan on a regular basis.
Attaching importance to development of regional cooperative relations, the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs have actively participated in all events held in connection with establishment of the relevant military law enforcement bodies of the Central Asian and Caucasian states in accordance with the proposal of the Gendarmerie General Command of the Turkey Republic from early 2011.
The Council Meeting of Commanders was held on January 25, 2013 in Baku in connection with signing the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of the Association of Eurasian Law Enforcement Agencies with Military Status, which includes the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Kyrgyz Republic, as well as the Republics of Mongolia and Turkey.
In accordance with the applicable international agreements and the local legislations of the member countries, the Association accepts to exchange information and experience on the fields of cooperation, supply, technology, study and development in operational and organizational works, staff preparation and training.
Visit of the Delegation of the Gendarmerie General Command of the Turkey Republic to the Internal Troops
"High military preparedness of the personnel is the reasonable consequence of the rapid development carried out in the Internal Troops in recent years".
That opinion was said by Colonel Ibrahim Enver Sungur, the head of delegation of the Gendarmerie General Command of Turkey visiting the Internal Troops.
The delegation of the Gendarmerie General Command of the Turkey Republic visited the Internal Troops on June 10. The delegation (Colonel Unsal Bulut, Colonel Shemsiddin Chetin, Colonel Serdar Gungor, Colonel Ali Turk) headed by Colonel İbrahim Enver Sungur commemorated the deathless memories of the brave sons of motherland, who sacrificed their lives for the sake of independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, in the Alley of Martyrs and laid flowers at the "Eternal Flame" complex on the first day of their visit.
Afterwards, flowers were laid at the “Brotherhood Graves” of the military servants of the Internal Troops martyred for independence of our lands, and the monumental complex erected for the memories of Turkish martyrs was visited.
On that day, the Turkish officers were received by Major-General Shirin Khalilov, the First Deputy Commander of the Internal Troops – the Chief of Staff at the Main Department of the Internal Troops. Welcoming the delegation warmly, Major-General Sh.Khalilov spoke about the cooperative relations improving day by day between the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Gendarmerie General Command of the Turkey Republic, and said that hundreds of military servants have received various improvement courses at the training and teaching centers of the Gendarmerie General Command. He noted that the continuously expanding relations between the Internal Troops and the Gendarmerie provide great contributions to the improvement of the friendly and cooperative ties between the two brother countries.
Colonel I.Enver Sungur expressed his gratitude for such warm and welcoming reception, and stressed that they are pleased to visit the Republic of Azerbaijan. The respectable guest expressed his satisfaction with the improvement of cooperative relations between the two authorities.
Then, a comprehensive briefing was provided on the establishment history, structure, normative and legal base, condition of supply, and the international relationships of the Internal Troops.
It should also be noted that the delegation visited the Higher Military School and a number of military units of the Internal Troops, get acquainted with the service fields and watched some special tactical trainings within the 3 day trip. Colonel I.Enver Sungur appreciated the high military preparedness of the personnel as the reasonable consequence of the rapid development carried out in the Internal Troops in recent years.