President Ilham Aliyev has outlined significant services of the Azerbaijanis worldwide in the victory that the country won in the 44-day war with Armenia from September 27 to November 10, 2020.
He made the remarks in a congratulatory message to fellow compatriots around the world on the occasion of Day of Solidarity of World Azerbaijanis on December 31.
“I am confident that we will soon turn our native Karabakh, which was completely destroyed as a result of Armenian occupation and savagery, into a paradise on earth. The courageous protests of our compatriots living abroad against the insidious provocations of the enemy and anti-Azerbaijani circles during the Patriotic War, their selfless service in conveying the truth about Azerbaijan to the world community have made a sizable contribution to our victory,” he said.
The president underlined Azerbaijan’s efforts to foil the misinformation campaign conducted in the international media against the country during the war, and to inform the international community about Armenia’s vandalism and the policy of terror against civilians.
“I sincerely congratulate you on the occasion of 31 December, the Day of Solidarity of World Azerbaijanis, a holiday established by great leader Heydar Aliyev, and convey my warm wishes to every one of you,” President Aliyev said in his address.
He wished fellow compatriots success in their “activities for the further strengthening and prosperity of our native Azerbaijan”.
Aliyev also noted that during the 75th session of the UN General Assembly in September 2020, the international community was warned about Armenia’s preparations for a new war.
“Armenia’s provocative statements and actions aimed at undermining the process of negotiations, its military provocation committed at the state border in the direction of [Azerbaijan’s northwestern region of] Tovuz in July, the concentration of troops on the line of contact and the sending of sabotage groups to commit acts of terror were further indications of its ugly intentions,” he stressed.
Aliyev said that on September 27, in response to Armenia’s military aggression against the country, the people of Azerbaijan went to war.
“The victorious Azerbaijani Army severely defeated the enemy and restored the territorial integrity of our country in 44 days filled with heroic deeds. The glorious Victory, which will live forever in the history of our national statehood and in the memory of our people, was achieved thanks to the unity of our people and government, the high professionalism of our army and intense political and diplomatic activity,” he said.
The head of state emphasized that the “Iron Fist” operation carried out by the Azerbaijani army in extremely difficult conditions in terms of territory and terrain and in a short period of time has gone down in the world’s military history and is being studied by leading military centres and specialists.
“The grand Victory Parade held in Azadlig Square in Baku on December 10 demonstrated the political, economic and military power of the Azerbaijani state, the resolve of our people, the determination of our army to win and the unshakable fighting spirit of our soldiers and officers. I once again express my deep gratitude to all the personnel of our victorious army, who gave our people a sense of national pride and joy, the joy of victory by raising our tricolor flag in our liberated lands, in the holy city of Shusha, the crown of Karabakh. I bow my head to the immortal souls of our martyrs and ask God to have mercy on them, and wish our wounded servicemen a speedy recovery,” Aliyev said.
In his speech, the head of state also focused on Azerbaijan’s contribution to the global fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are ending 2020 in a tense fight against the coronavirus pandemic around the world. From the first days, the Azerbaijani government has taken consistent measures to overcome the situation with minimal losses. These steps, as well as Azerbaijan’s humanitarian assistance to countries in need, have been praised by the World Health Organization,” he said.
Aliyev stressed that at the initiative of Azerbaijan as a country chairing the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), which brings together 120 countries, a summit of both organizations dedicated to the fight against COVID-19 was held in a video format.
“On the initiative of Azerbaijan as a country chairing the Non-Aligned Movement, which was supported by more than 150 countries, a special session of the UN General Assembly on coronavirus was held at the level of heads of state and government in December this year. This is a clear indication of Azerbaijan’s active participation in global processes, respect for our country and international support,” the head of state added.
On November 10, 2020 Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia signed a trilateral peace agreement to end the Nagorno-Karabakh war that started on September 27, 2020.
The peace agreement also ended the 30-year-old conflict between Baku and Yerevan over Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region that along with the seven adjacent districts came under the occupation of Armenian armed forces in the war in the early 1990s. For about three decades, Armenia failed to implement the UN Security Council resolutions demanding the withdrawal of the Armenian troops, which was the main obstacle to the resolution of the conflict.
By Vafa Ismayilova