On November 6, at a meeting with a NATO delegation, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced the conversion of the national army to alliance standards.

"We are working closely with the Turkish army, which is a NATO member. In this context, the modernization of the Azerbaijani army will continue." — the press service of the head of state quotes him as saying.

First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs Konstantin Zatulin viewed the statement as a belated recognition of Baku's independent course.

"This is simply a belated recognition, in terms of the actual state of affairs, that Azerbaijan is building its defensive and political line completely independently of Russia's interests," — the deputy said in a conversation with Lenta.ru.

In his view, Aliyev's words were not surprising: Azerbaijan has long coordinated its actions with NATO through Turkey, with which Baku shares "practically a common army and command." Zatulin emphasized that the alliance uses Ankara as a channel of influence over Baku.