President of Azerbaijan: Approximately 9 billion manats are allocated for military and security issues for the next year

In the state budget being discussed today, the budget for next year, military and security issues are once again at the forefront, and approximately 9 billion manats are allocated for these purposes.

This was stated by President Ilham Aliyev, speaking at the VIII congress of the "New Azerbaijan" party.

The head of state noted that the spaces around us are ablaze, boiling. Wars do not cease; on the contrary, new hotbeds of wars and conflicts are emerging - both to the north, and to the south, and in the Middle East.

"That is, wars and clashes continue along the entire perimeter around us, and there are no international mechanisms to stop these wars - and most likely there will not be," he added.

The President sees the reason for this in the fact that international law has completely ceased to function.

"The number of those who attach importance to it is sharply declining. Therefore, we must be ready every day to respond to any military provocation. We must possess such strength - and we are achieving this - that no one would even think of staging any provocation against Azerbaijan.

So this is a top priority, and it is no coincidence that in the state budget being discussed today, the budget for next year, military and security issues are once again at the forefront, and approximately 9 billion manats are allocated for these purposes. Naturally, we also have other needs - first and foremost the restoration of Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur, improving the social well-being of the people. We are doing this as well; all of this is provided for in the budget being discussed. However, if we cannot defend ourselves, then any other project of ours will be completely meaningless," Ilham Aliyev emphasized.