BAKU, Azerbaijan, Mar. 20
Trend:
Shusha was able to protect the spirit of the Azerbaijani people and was waiting for us, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said addressing the nation from Jidir Duzu, Shusha on occasion of Novruz holiday, Trend reports.
“On 8 November, when announcing the great news of the liberation of Shusha to the people of Azerbaijan, I said, “Shusha, you are free!” Today, we are celebrating our national holiday Novruz in free Shusha. Shusha was held in captivity for 28 years. For 28 years, it was ruined and destroyed by the contemptible enemy. The historical appearance of Shusha was destroyed. The enemy wanted to Armenianize Shusha. They wanted to erase the heritage of the Azerbaijani people in Shusha. But they did not succeed in doing that. Shusha may have been destroyed, our historical sites in Shusha may have been destroyed by the loathsome enemy. However, Shusha did not bend. Shusha did not break. It preserved its dignity, protected the national spirit of Azerbaijan, and today, while in Shusha, we are witnessing this once again. Shusha was able to protect the spirit of the Azerbaijani people and was waiting for us. We had to come and we did. But we had to gather strength to come here. We had to get ready to come here. Preparations had to be and were made in all directions. We had to ensure the development of our country. We had to ensure the unity of our people. This was not an easy task for a country and nation that has emerged from civil war. The processes taking place in the country after the civil war united our people around a common idea, a common cause – the liberation of our lands. We managed to secure this national unity and national solidarity. If it were not for this, the victory would not have happened,” the head of state said.