Azerbaijani National Guard

Azerbaijani National Guard
Azərbaycan Milli Qvardiyası
Flag of National Guard
Flag of National Guard
Agency overview
Formed25 December 1991; 33 years ago (1991-12-25)
Employees2,500[1]
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionAzerbaijan
Specialist jurisdiction
  • Protection of international or domestic VIPs, protection of significant state assets.
Operational structure
HeadquartersMammad Amin Rasulzadeh Street, Binəqədi raion, Baku
Agency executive
  • Colonel-General Vagif Akhundov, Chief of SSPS
Parent agencySpecial State Protection Service of Azerbaijan
Azadlıq Marşı (Freedom's March)
National Guard troops in the Day of the Armed Forces parade in 2018

The Azerbaijani National Guard (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan Milli Qvardiyası) is an armed force of the Government of Azerbaijan, and operates as a semi-independent entity as well as the a reserve component of the Azerbaijan Army.[2][3] The Special State Protection Service (SSPS) of Azerbaijan is a military unit subordinate to the President of Azerbaijan. The missions of the Azerbaijani National Guard are to protect government facilities such as the National Parliament, and the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan as well as foreign heads of state and government in Azerbaijan.

History

The National Guard was established on 25 December 1991. Initially, military service in National Guard was based on a voluntarily two-year contract. According to the presidential decree of 31 July 1992, the National Guard was expanded into the armed forces.[4][5] Initially, military service in the National Guard was based on a two-year contract on a voluntary basis. The selection of personnel was carried out with the assistance of the personnel bodies of the Ministry of National Security and the Ministry of Interior. In 1993, Main Security Department of the Supreme State Authorities and Administration was established on the basis of the National Guard.[6] The guard was definitely active in December 1996 but now appears to have been incorporated into the Special State Protection Service.[7][8] The battle banner of National Guard was approved on 4 October 2005.[9]

Duties

Its responsibilities include organization of the President of Azerbaijan, the protection of the National Parliament, Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan, the Cabinet of Ministers, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, the Constitutional Court, the Central Election Commission and other public facilities as well as the protection of foreign heads of state on the territory of Azerbaijan. The National Guard has a wartime role as part of Azerbaijan's Land Forces.[10][11] One of the most important tasks of the SSPS is the safety of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and the South Caucasus Pipeline. NATO provides the service with several helicopters and vehicles in order to safeguard the pipeline.[12] The Heydar Aliyev Memorial Museum and Honor is locoated on the territory of the National Guard.[13]

Ceremonial activities

The National Guard provides a guard of honour battalion (Azerbaijani: Fəxri Qarovul taboru) for ceremonial activities in the national capital. The guard of honor consists of one chief, three flag bearers, three groups of 20 people each and the chief of those three groups. The guard of honor consists of a total of 66 people and the chief of the guard of honor.

In September 2011, the honour guard battalion received new distinct uniforms for their duties, replacing their black beret and jacket with a white coat and cap.[14][15] it takes part in the program of foreign leader's state visits including wreath-laying ceremonies in front of the Tomb of the Heydar Aliyev in the Alley of Honor and in front of the Eternal Flame at Martyrs' Lane.[16] The members of the National Guard had the honor of carrying the Flag of Azerbaijan and the Olympic flag during the Opening Ceremony of the 2015 European Games.[17] It provided all ceremonial guards during the state funeral of Heydar Aliyev in December 2003.[18]

  • Dmitry Medvedev and Ilham Aliyev inspecting the National Guard during Medvedev's visit to Baku in 2008.
    Dmitry Medvedev and Ilham Aliyev inspecting the National Guard during Medvedev's visit to Baku in 2008.
  • Members of the Azerbaijani National Guard raising the Olympic Flag.
    Members of the Azerbaijani National Guard raising the Olympic Flag.

See also

References

  1. ^ Балансируя между войной и миром Archived 2020-10-25 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian)
  2. ^ "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 from the original on 24 July 2011.
  3. ^ "CIA World factbook Azerbaijan". 15 December 2021.
  4. ^ "Xüsusi Dövlət Mühafizə Xidməti". Archived from the original on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
  5. ^ "Особая Государственная Служба Охраны Азербайджана - Hərbi portal".
  6. ^ 25 yal xsusi mhafiz realtv.az [permanent dead link‍]
  7. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ Republic of Azerbaijan - Special State Protection Service Archived 2011-07-06 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "Azərbaycan Respubli̇kasi Xüsusi̇ Dövlət Mühafi̇zə Xi̇dməti̇ni̇n Mi̇lli̇ Qvardi̇yasinin Döyüş Bayraği Haqqindaəsasnamə".
  10. ^ "Azərbaycan Respublikası Milli Qvardiyasının yaranmasının 5-ci ildönümü". Archived from the original on 24 July 2011.
  11. ^ Milli Qvardiyanın 10 yaşı tamam oldu (in Azerbaijani)
  12. ^ "NATO to supply Azerbaijan and Georgia with new technical equipment". Today.az. 26 April 2007. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  13. ^ "Xüsusi Dövlət Mühafizə Xidməti | Milli Qvardiya". Archived from the original on 3 November 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  14. ^ "108 - "Azərbaycan Respublikası Xüsusi Dövlət Mühafizə Xidmətinin hərbi qulluqçularının hərbi geyim və əşya əmlakı ilə təminat normaları"nın təsdiq edilməsi haqqında"".
  15. ^ "108 - "Azərbaycan Respublikası Xüsusi Dövlət Mühafizə Xidmətinin hərbi qulluqçularının hərbi geyim və əşya əmlakı ilə təminat normaları"nın təsdiq edilməsi haqqında"". 85.132.71.30. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  16. ^ Protokol gaydalari mfa.gov.az [dead link‍]
  17. ^ "Official web-site of President of Azerbaijan Republic - NEWS » Events".
  18. ^ "Владимир Путин попрощался с Гейдаром Алиевым / СНГ / Независимая газета". www.ng.ru. Retrieved 12 September 2020.