BAKU, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Azerbaijan is pushing ahead with plans to establish a military-industrial cluster to strengthen national defense and expand arms exports, Prime Minister Ali Asadov told parliament on Tuesday.

Under the draft 2026 budget, defense and national security spending will account for about 21 percent of total expenditures, or 8.7 billion manats (about 5.1 billion U.S. dollars), he said.

Asadov noted that the military industry has grown rapidly after years of investment and now exports to multiple countries. Azerbaijan has also expanded military-technical cooperation, including drone production with Türkiye's Baykar and potential collaboration with Slovakia. Enditem