The Azerbaijani Embassy here celebrated the 96th anniversary of the establishment of the country’s armed forces during a reception in Seoul on Wednesday.

The event was attended by members of South Korea’s Defense Ministry, members of the Azerbaijani military and defense attaches of other foreign diplomatic missions here in Seoul.

Speaking at the reception, the Azerbaijani Embassy’s military attache, Commander Elchin Jafarov, lauded the development of the country’s military. Jafarov also highlighted the close cooperation between the Azerbaijani and South Korean armed forces.

Of the more than 100 embassy-level missions in Korea, the number with defense attaches posted here has expanded to about 30, according to diplomatic sources.

Finland appointed its first defense attache, Captain Kari Huhtala, as the Scandinavian nation expanded security relations with South Korea in July 2013. In 2012, India dispatched Army Colonel Ajay Chandpuriato to South Korea after expanding military and security relations with South Korea, opening a defense wing at its embassy.

During a visit to Seoul in December 2013 by Azerbaijan’s minister for defense, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov, the two sides signed a cooperation agreement on security and defense issues.

“After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Azerbaijan has regained its independence and established the National Army against the internal and external threats,” Jafarov said. “Unfortunately, the structure and preparation of the army was not enough strong in the first years of independence in Azerbaijan, (which) led to tragic events such as occupation of 20 percent Azerbaijan’s territory by neighboring Armenia.”

Now one of the main objectives of its country’s foreign policy is the resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, a result of the 1991-94 war. Although South Korea has established diplomatic ties with Armenia, Armenia does not have a chancery here.

(ephilip2014@heraldcorp.com)