Azerbaijan marks Armed forces day

On June 26, Azerbaijan marks Armed Forces Day.  The holiday, which is a day off, began by decree from Azerbaijan’s President Heydar Aliyev on May 22, 1998.

     On June 26, 1918, in accordance with a decision by the government of Azerbaijan’s Democratic Republic, a regular army unit was created and called the Azerbaijani Corps. The decision became a basis for creation of the national armed forces.

     Until 1998, Azerbaijan’s Armed Forces Day was celebrated on October 9. On that day in 1991, Azerbaijan’s Supreme Council adopted a law on creation of national self-defense forces.

    In 2009, on the occasion of the 90th anniversary a national army, a large military parade took place in Azadlig Square with participation of 4,510 military servants and different kinds of military equipment. Planes of Azerbaijan’s air forces demonstrated elements of aerobatics. There are more than 125,000 people in Azerbaijan’s armed forces. In 2009 the military budget totaled almost $3.6 billion. -0-