On July 13, the plane of the President of Slovakia Peter Pellegrini landed at Varanda airport in Fizuli. Today he has already visited the occupied Artsakh, Shushi, Aghdam (Akna), accompanied by the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.

Later, after a private meeting and talks in Shushi, the presidents of Azerbaijan and Slovakia for the media announcements have done.

Aliyev, in particular, noted that cooperation in the energy and military-technical fields is among the priorities.

The President of Slovakia made a more substantive statement regarding bilateral cooperation in the defense sector, stating:

“Also, I would like to reaffirm that in 2027 and 2028, Slovakia will continue to perform the functions of the NATO contact embassy in Azerbaijan through its embassy in Baku. I am very pleased that our defense ministers are working very well together on security and defense capabilities. I am also happy that Slovakia will be able to show the first results of our cooperation and agreements at a major defense exhibition that will be held in September this year in Baku.”

In February of this year we wrote that Azerbaijan and Slovakia have signed a big deal. We are talking about a framework contract worth 210 million euros, with which SAM-120 automatic mortars will be supplied.

Slovak Defense Minister Robert Kaliniak said the first batch of supplies, which includes 96 mortars, had been agreed upon.

We are still in December 2025 to write that Baku intends to acquire automatic artillery systems from Slovakia when Aliyev had left Bratislava.

In that context, we also reported that Azerbaijan and Slovakia are discussing starting cooperation in the field of production of self-propelled artillery installations, ammunition: Slovak technology plus Azerbaijani money.

“Here we are talking about the formation of synergy, when by combining Slovak technologies and the financial possibilities of Azerbaijan, it is possible to create a new product that will be of interest to the world markets as well. Moreover, this will bring great benefits to us. We are working on specific projects in this direction,” the head of Azerbaijan emphasized during the press conference held during the visit.

In turn, the President of Slovakia, Peter Pellegrini, who was present at the meeting, added:

“We have particularly extensive experience in the field of self-propelled artillery installations, ammunition production and not only. We can work with Azerbaijan, that is, transfer technology and use Azerbaijani financial resources to create modern production and sell it to third countries. I am also glad that Azerbaijan has shown interest in acquiring automatic artillery systems and has already announced its intention. I am sure that this type of weaponry will strengthen the armed forces of Azerbaijan.”

And it is possible that now in Baku, when the President of Slovakia says that at the major defense exhibition to be held in Baku in September of this year, you will see the first results of Azerbaijan-Slovakia cooperation and agreements, he means first of all the samples of the SAM-120 self-propelled mortar, because there is practically no information about the opening of the joint venture and the first products. In any case, let’s wait for the military exhibition organized by Baku in September.

And the foundations of all the above-mentioned treaties and agreements were actually laid when in May 2024 the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Fizo had visited In Baku, during which it was decided to start negotiations on the supply of specific weapons and the creation of joint production platforms in the field of defense industry, the Prime Minister of Slovakia announced that his country can start joint production with Azerbaijan in the military field.

It should be noted that the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense of Slovakia were present at the Baku military parade dedicated to the 5th year of the Azerbaijani victory in the 44-day war.

Let’s also remind that in 2019, when the then Slovak Foreign Minister, OSCE Chairman-in-Office Miroslav Lajčak visited Armenia and held a joint press conference with RA Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, his attention was drawn to the fact that their weapons are not arriving in Azerbaijan directly, but mediated, through third countries, particularly through Israel.

“There was a separate agreement between Slovakia and Israel, there were separate documents, in which it was stated that the final recipient is Israel. We discussed this issue several times with Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan. I think the case is closed. We have explained everything in detail to each other, we have understood each other, I think that this discussion has stopped and will not continue, and the contract has also been terminated,” assured Lajchak.

To what extent it happened in practice, one can only speculate.

By the way, in May of this year, “Will Slovakia, which helped Azerbaijan win the 44-day war and signed a contract worth 210 million euros, sell weapons to the “occupier” Armenia?” article: we have published, because within the framework of the official visit to Poland, RA Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan to meet was also with Slovakia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense Robert Kaliniak, who also participated in the “Defence24 Days” conference and discussed the directions of military-technical cooperation, an agreement was reached on giving the cooperation a practical course in the near future.

And we will look at the other episodes of the Slovak President Pellegrin’s visit to the occupied Artsakh and the meeting with the Azerbaijani President next.

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