Azerbaijani National Guard
| Azərbaycan Milli Qvardiyası Azerbaijani National Guard | |
|---|---|
 Members of the Azerbaijani National Guard raising the Olympic Flag. | |
| Active | December 25, 1991 - present |
| Country |  Azerbaijan |
| Allegiance | Azerbaijan |
| Branch | Special State Protection Service |
| Size | 2,500[1] |
| Headquarters | Baku |
| Engagements | Nagorno-Karabakh War |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Colonel-General Vagif Akhundov (chief of SPSS) |
The Azerbaijani National Guard (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan Milli Qvardiyası) is a paramilitary force in Azerbaijan. The Internal Troops is under the authority of the Government of Azerbaijan [2] and operates as a semi-independent entity.[3] The Azerbaijani National Guard was definitely active in December 1996 but has been united into the Special State Protection Service.[4] The guard was established on the December 25, 1991.[5]
The Special State Protection Service (SSPS) of Azerbaijan is a military unit directly under the authority of the President of Azerbaijan. Its responsibilities include the protection of the President of Azerbaijan, the protection of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan (Parliament), the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, the Constitutional Court, the Central Election Commission and other public bodies as well as the protection of important foreign leaders visiting Azerbaijan.
One of the most important tasks of the SPSS is the safety of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan petroleum and natural gas pipeline and the South Caucasus petroleum pipeline. NATO is supporting the service with several helicopters and military vehicles in order to protect the pipelines.[6]
During wartime, the Azerbaijani National Guard operates together with the Azerbaijani Land Forces, and can be involved in local defense and security of the country, along with the army.[7][8]
Other law enforcement bodies in Azerbaijan include the Internal Troops of Azerbaijan and the State Border Service of Azerbaijan and its Coast Guard branch.
Related pages
[change | change source]- Military history of Azerbaijan
- Azerbaijani Armed Forces
- Azerbaijani Land Force
- Azerbaijani Air Force
- Azerbaijani Navy
- Internal Troops of Azerbaijan
- State Border Service of Azerbaijan
References
[change | change source]- ↑ Балансируя между войной и миром Archived 2020-10-25 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian)
- ↑ "Today.Az - Interior Troops are not subordinate to Ministry of Emergencies". www.today.az. Archived from the original on 2012-03-14. Retrieved 2011-11-26.
- ↑ Heydar Aliyev's Heritage International Online Library: Speech by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, the High Chief in a ceremony marking the 5th anniversary of the founding of the National Guard - National Guard headquarters in Azerbaijan, 25 December 1996 Archived 24 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian)
- ↑ http://www.axisglobe.com/news.asp?news=13236
- ↑ "Republic of Azerbaijan - Special State Protection Service". Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2011-11-26.
- ↑ "NATO to supply Azerbaijan and Georgia with new technical equipment". www.today.az. Archived from the original on 2018-07-25. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
- ↑ Azərbaycan Respublikası Milli Qvardiyasının yaranmasının 5-ci ildönümü Archived 2011-07-24 at the Wayback Machine (in Azerbaijani)
- ↑ Milli Qvardiyanın 10 yaşı tamam oldu Archived 2014-02-06 at Archive.today (in Azerbaijani)