Ukraine assists Azerbaijan army

Ukraine and Azerbaijan recently embarked on military cooperation with Ukraine supplying arms to Azerbaijan and helping to maintain and repair military equipment. Azerbaijan is currently interested in anti-aircraft equipment as well as the Ukrainian AN type planes. Belarusian newspaper Narodnaia Gazeta reports that Azerbaijan is the only country among the 30 counties who signed the conventional arms treaty to exceed the agreed limits on tanks and artillery. The country has also increased its 2011 military budget up to USD 3 billion. According to the conventional arms treaty Azerbaijan is allowed to have up to 220 tanks, 220 armed vehicles and 285 artillery systems. Armenian sources report that Azerbaijan has almost twice as many tanks and armed vehicles as well as artillery systems and that the country is constantly increasing its armament and modernising its equipment.