Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.2
By Ilkin Izzet - Trend:
It is an honor for the Azerbaijani youth to serve in the country's armed forces and they fulfill their tasks with dignity, Azerbaijan's Defense Minister Colonel General Zakir Hasanov said in his congratulatory address on the occasion of the Youth Day on Feb.2, Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said.
He said Azerbaijani armed forces mainly consist of the youth. "Being the driving force of the society, the youth serving in the army are fully aware of the holy duty to the homeland and the nation."
The minister added that thanks to the high professionalism of Azerbaijani officers and soldiers, the enemy's provocations are vigorously prevented.
The defense minister once again expressed gratitude to the parents of the servicemen who lost their lives while defending Azerbaijan's territorial integrity.
Furthermore, Hasanov said that the organization of the First Youth Forum and the establishment of the Youth Day were initiated by Azerbaijan's National Leader Heydar Aliyev.
"Today, the state youth policy, founded by the national leader, is successfully continued by Azerbaijani president, Supreme Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev," the minister said.
Hasanov expressed confidence that the youth serving in the armed forces will continue to be faithful to the Constitution of Azerbaijan, the military oath and charter, achieve new success in moral and psychological training and under the leadership of the supreme commander-in-chief of the armed forces will raise the Azerbaijani flag in Khankendi, Shusha, Lachin and other Azerbaijani lands occupied by Armenia.
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
Edited by SI