Military parade to be held in Baku

BAKU, June 26 (Itar-Tass) - A military parade will be held in
Azerbaijan for the first time over the last 16 years on Thursday.
It is dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the republic's armed forces that were formed in the period of the Azerbaijani republic the first Muslim democratic state that was set up in 1918-20.
Azerbaijani President and Supreme Commander Ilham Aliyev will review the parade.
The Defense Ministry said the parade, which will be held on the
Freedom Square would involve 4,500 military servicemen of all troops and military equipment.
Azerbaijan has been paying in recent years much attention to the
building of the national army and its equipment.
The state has issued for that 1.3 billion dollars, which is one-third more than in the previous year.
Azerbaijan's leaders had repeatedly said that the defense spending
would be increased every year.
Available information suggests that Azerbaijan buys weapons and
military equipment mainly from Russia and Ukraine.
Security has been tightened in connection with the parade in Baku. Some of central avenues adjacent to the Freedom Square have been cordoned off and the traffic has been restricted.
The city police have been put on an intensified regime of service.