Azerbaijan Called Sources of Threat for Its Maritime Security

President Ilham Aliyev approved the "Strategy for Maritime Security of the Azerbaijan Republic".

The document is aimed at promoting economic and energy security and, in particular, the protection of energy infrastructure at sea.

The strategy states that the existing threats at sea can cause serious damage to the national interests of the country.

With this in mind, on the basis of its Constitution, the Military Doctrine and the Concept of National Security of Azerbaijan, as a sovereign state will use the right to protect their interests.

Among the major external threats and challenges are:

- Increasing naval capabilities of the Caspian states, the imbalance is not in favor of Azerbaijan;

- Potential interference in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan, by limiting access to natural resources and sea lanes;

- Territorial claims against Azerbaijan at sea;

- The possibility of inter-state conflict, hostilities and their extensions ;

- Transport of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction and their components in the context of the military- political ambitions of various countries;

- The activities of terrorist organizations, pirates and other criminal groups;

- Illegal trafficking, smuggling and trafficking in persons;

- Illegal fishing and the exploitation of natural resources.

Structures responsible for maritime safety are defined as:

- Ministry of Defense with the participation of the Air Force and Navy;

- The Coast Guard frontier with air support;

- Ministry of Emergency Situations;

- Ministry of National Security;

- The Maritime Administration;

- Caspian Shipping Company;

- SOCAR and other oil companies;

- State Customs Committee;

- State migratory service;

- Ministry of Environment;

- Baku seaport;

- Ministry of Internal Affairs (Directorate for Combating Organized Crime , drugs, and criminal investigation ).

As for the national interests of Azerbaijan on the Caspian Sea, they are as follows:

- Ensuring a peaceful environment of the sea and its use in the framework of the legislation;

- The ability of the state to use the Azeri sector of the sea and resources there;

- Suppression of any discriminatory acts against Azerbaijan;

- The settlement of international legal issues about learning and the use of resources of the Caspian Sea;

- Purposeful use of the natural resources of the sea for socio-economic development;

- The creation of an efficient sea transport network, providing control over her and her safety .

- A general agreement among the riparian countries concerning the legal status of the Caspian Sea;

- Prevention of sabotage and terrorist attacks on pipelines and offshore platforms;

- Increased efforts of coastal countries to expand their military capabilities;

- Full coverage of the existing observation and control system of the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea. -03D-