Zakir Hasanov

He was born on 6 June 1959 in the Astara District. He graduated from the Baku High Army Commanders School in 1980 as an artillery officer before serving for five years in the Soviet Armed Forces Units in East Germany. Afterwards, he spent the next eight years at the Altay military registration and enlistment office of the Siberian Military District as part of the Ministry of Defence of the USSR.

File:Sea Cup 2020 04.jpg (left) during the opening ceremony of the Sea Cup competition of the International Army Games.]]

Following the fall of the Soviet Union, he served for a decade in the Border Troops of the Ministry of National Security of Azerbaijan. He was then promoted to the chief of office of international relations of the State Border Service before being appointed Deputy Minister of Interior and Commander of the Internal Troops by a presidential decree on 17 January 2003, when he was also promoted to the rank of major-general four months later.

File:Ilham Aliyev attended the parade 08.jpg in honor of the Day of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan in 2018.]]

He was previously the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs.

Upon coming into office as the Minister of Defence, he made statements in regard to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. This included saying that the Azerbaijani army was strong and disciplined as opposed to that of Armenia and that "the situation in the Armenian armed forces is disastrous. In case of war the troops of this country will escape from the field of battle."{{Cite web |url=http://hyemedia.com/2012/11/azerbaijani-commander-armenians-will-run-away-in-new-karabakh-war/ |title=Azerbaijani Commander: "Armenians will run away in new Karabakh war" | HyeMedia | Armenian News |access-date=3 November 2013 |archive-date=4 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104180851/http://hyemedia.com/2012/11/azerbaijani-commander-armenians-will-run-away-in-new-karabakh-war/ |url-status=dead }} He also told the European Union that his country would support liberating its lands peacefully but he emphasized that Azerbaijan reserves the right to liberate "its occupied lands". This came at the same time as E.U. Special Representative for the South Caucasus Philippe Lefort congratulated him on his appointment.{{Cite web|url=http://en.trend.az/news/karabakh/2205579.html|title=Minister: Azerbaijan reserves right to liberate its occupied lands (PHOTO)|date=28 October 2013}}

During the 2016 April War, Hasanov stated that if shelling of Azerbaijani settlements by Armenian forces did not cease, Azerbaijan would consider launching an artillery bombardment on Stepanakert.{{cite web|title=Азербайджан может нанести удар по Степанакерту|url=http://haqqin.az/news/67335|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406105343/http://haqqin.az/news/67335|archive-date=6 April 2016|access-date=5 April 2016|work=Haqqin.az}} In April 2019, Hasanov warned that "If Armenians go on the offensive, it will give me the opportunity to meet with him Armenian Defence Minister David Tonoyan in Yerevan", implying an armed incursion.{{Cite web|last=1news|title=Закир Гасанов: "Если армяне перейдут в наступление, то я встречусь с Тонояном в Ереване" - ВИДЕО|url=https://1news.az/news/zakir-gasanov-esli-armyane-pereydut-v-nastuplenie-to-ya-vstrechus-s-tonoyanom-v-erevane---video|access-date=17 December 2020|website=1news.az|language=ru}}

In October 2017, a garrison military parade of the Nakhchivan Garrison was held through the capital of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in honor of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the first military unit of the National Army, being attended by Defense Minister Hasanov on behalf of the national government.{{Cite web|title=Nakhchivan marks 25th anniversary of establishment of first military unit, holds military parade|url=https://mod.gov.az/en/news/nakhchivan-marks-25th-anniversary-of-establishment-of-first-military-unit-holds-military-parade-20384.html|access-date=7 May 2021|website=MINISTRY OF DEFENCE OF THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN|language=en}} He commanded the Day of the Armed Forces and Liberation Day parades on Azadliq Square in June{{Cite web|title=Official web-site of President of Azerbaijan Republic - NEWS » Events|url=https://en.president.az/articles/29165|access-date=13 November 2020|website=en.president.az|language=en}} and September 2018, with the latter commemorating the centennial of the Battle of Baku. Hasanov represented Azerbaijan at the 2019 Pakistan Day Parade in Islamabad.{{Cite web|date=23 March 2019|title=Azerbaijani Military contingent attended Pakistan Day Parade along with Defence Minister Colonel General Zakir Hasanov|url=https://dnd.com.pk/azerbaijani-military-contingent-attended-pakistan-day-parade-along-with-defence-minister-colonel-general-zakir-hasanov/163120|access-date=7 May 2021|website=Dispatch News Desk|language=en-US}} On 2 July 2019, on the instruction of President Aliyev, a delegation led by Hasanov visited Kima Davidovich (the mother of Belarusian-Azerbaijani soldier Anatoly Nikolayevich Davidovich) while she was being treated in a clinical hospital in Minsk, on the eve of his attendance at the celebrations in honor of the 75th anniversary of the Minsk Offensive.{{Cite web|title=Azerbaijan Defense Minister visits Anatoly Davidovich's mother|url=https://mod.gov.az/en/news/azerbaijan-defense-minister-visits-anatoly-davidovich-s-mother-27490.html|access-date=7 May 2021|website=MINISTRY OF DEFENCE OF THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN|language=en}} Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he represented President Aliyev at the 2020 Moscow Victory Day Parade on Red Square.{{Cite web|last=Говорова|first=Алиса|date=18 June 2020|title=Президент Азербайджана не приедет на парад Победы в Москву|url=https://iz.ru/1025140/2020-06-18/prezident-azerbaidzhana-ne-priedet-na-parad-pobedy-v-moskvu|website=Известия}}

He is married with three children. He is fluent in German, English, Russian and Turkish.

• Medal for Distinguished Service in Defending the State Borders – 1998{{Cite web|url=https://mod.gov.az/en/minister-of-defence-009/|title=MINISTRY OF DEFENCE OF THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN|website=mod.gov.az|access-date=29 August 2019}}
• Medal for Distinguished Military Service – 2002
• Azerbaijani Flag Order – 2004
• Medal for Distinguished Service for Fatherland – 2008
• Azerbaijani Flag – 2016
• Shohrat Order – 2019
• Zafar Order – 2020{{Cite web |url=https://az.trend.az/azerbaijan/politics/3347531.html |title=Silahlı Qüvvələrin bir sıra hərbi qulluqçuları təltif olunub |date=9 December 2020 |access-date=9 December 2020 |work=Trend News Agency |language=az }}

• Major General (2003)
• Lieutenant General (2005)
• Colonel General (2013)

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Category:1959 births

Category:Living people

Category:Azerbaijani generals

Category:Azerbaijani politicians

Category:Government ministers of Azerbaijan

Category:Ministers of defense of Azerbaijan

Category:People from Astara District

Category:Azerbaijani military personnel of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War