"Baku has never aimed for serious political and legal closeness with the West"

The downing of an Azerbaijani passenger plane over Grozny on December 26, 2024, has drawn significant attention, raising serious concerns about Russia's crisis management.

In the Global Firepower (GFP) 2025 ranking, Azerbaijan ranks 60th out of 145 countries with a PowerIndex of 1.2531. While Azerbaijan is not among the leading military powers in the world, its position highlights significant achievements in defense capabilities.

The reconstruction and redevelopment of territories liberated from occupation are being carried out primarily with funds from the state budget of the Republic of Azerbaijan, with minor exceptions. Foreign investments so far include Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan constructing a school and a creativity center in the Fuzuli region, Kyrgyzstan building a school in the Aghdam region, and Russia continuing the construction of a kindergarten in the Gubadli region.

On December 13, during discussions in the Milli Majlis (Parliament) on proposed amendments to the law "On Military Duty and Military Service," Azər Babayev, head of the Call to Active Military Service Department at the State Service for Mobilization and Conscription, stated that the reduction of military service duration was being discussed.