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Azerbaijani president meets with residents of Zangilan district (PHOTO)

Politics Materials 27 April 2021 15:10 (UTC +04:00)
Azerbaijani president meets with residents of Zangilan district (PHOTO)

BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 27

Trend:

As reported earlier, on 26 April President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and their daughter Leyla Aliyeva visited Jabrayil and Zangilan districts.

The head of state then met with residents of Zangilan district.

President Ilham Aliyev: Hello, please come closer, come closer.

Female resident: Welcome to Aghali village!

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you very much!

Female resident: This is our village. I was born in Aghali village, in this village, and grew up here. My father, mother, husband, uncles and aunts were buried in this cemetery. My husband's grave is next to that visible tree, he died while working.

President Ilham Aliyev: Where was your house? Which side?

Female resident: Our house was down there.

President Ilham Aliyev: In Boyuk Aghali.

Female resident: When you drove down here for the first time, you said that this house would probably be recognized by someone. It is my sister's house. Thank you very much. I am very glad to see you, your wife and daughter here. I embrace and kiss you all.

President Ilham Aliyev: I congratulate you on returning to Aghali.

Female resident: Thank you, I also wish you good health and a long life for bringing us to our place and giving us the opportunity to see our land. You have liberated our lands. You have avenged our martyrs along with our lands. We have wounded veterans. May Allah grant healing to our veterans and rest the souls of our martyrs in peace. I bow my head before their mothers. I bow my head to you for bringing them together as Commander-in-Chief and winning the 44-day war that is unparalleled in the world. In the first Karabakh war, my cousin and my son-in-law fought in the war for five years and eight months. My grandson is a wounded veteran who volunteered for the 44-day war. May Allah grant you good health and a long life. The people of Aghali are ready to come here. We are all together. Everyone, including children and adults, says we are going to Aghali to build and create there. The people of Aghali are hardworking. I have lived in the city for 28 years.

President Ilham Aliyev: Where did you live? In Baku?

Female resident: Yes, I live in Bilajari.

President Ilham Aliyev: In a dormitory in Bilajari?

Female resident: No, we live in a house we built. We are ready to come to our land. I have a dream. I hope there comes a day when this project is completed and the people of Agali gather in this village. Because our people are hardworking – we will restore it. May I ask you – when you come to the village the second time, please come to my house and have a cup of tea.

President Ilham Aliyev: Agreed. I promise. I will definitely come. I will come to the opening, and I hope the village will be rebuilt soon. As you know, Aghali is the first village to be restored.

Female resident: It used to be a well-to-do village, with a collective farm. I want to recite a verse and she recites.

President Ilham Aliyev: This village will be an exemplary one.

Female resident: Yes, thank you very much. I am very glad to see you here. My dear ones, I embrace you all and kiss you.

President Ilham Aliyev: When did you leave Aghali?

Female resident: I left it in 1993. Whenever you raise your fist, I raise it with you. I am raising it again and say: Karabakh is ours! Aghali is ours! Zangilan is ours! Our youth is behind you. Long live Karabakh! Long live Azerbaijan!

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you. Aghali village was liberated from the occupiers on 28 October. You know that fierce battles were fought for Zangilan, for all our villages. We returned this land by shedding blood.

Female resident: Yes, my grandson also took part in the fighting here.

President Ilham Aliyev: We drove out the enemies. When I first came here and saw the ruins when drove by, I wondered whose this house was. Because only a part was left of that house.

Female resident: Yes, it does, I saw that.

President Ilham Aliyev: They lived here illegally. I said that the people of Aghali would probably recognize whose house it was.

Female resident: Yes, I listened to that.

President Ilham Aliyev: Now you are probably familiar with the new project. More than 200 houses, a school, a kindergarten, an outpatient clinic will be built here and jobs will be created. The presentation given to me today shows that a large farm – a buffalo farm – will be created here as well, cheese will be produced, there will be arable land, there will be a hydroelectric power plant. In other words, all the conditions will be available. You will have everything you need to live here. The technologies to be applied here are not yet available in Azerbaijan. This is the first project, a pilot project, and I am sure that all the work will be ready by the beginning of next year. Houses must be built, communications must be built, then jobs must be created, there must be arable land, and everyone who will live here must be provided with jobs. I also see young people here, they were probably born after or before the war.

Female resident: Children were displaced at the age of one year and seven months.

President Ilham Aliyev: How old are you?

Boy: Dear Mr. President, I am very pleased to see you in our village. I am one of the last babies to have been born in Zangilan. I was seven months old when I left here as an IDP. Today, for the first time in 28 years, we are stepping into our ancestral land, and it is gratifying that we are doing that together with you, Mr. President.

Mr. President, we have always supported your policy. We have always watched your speeches, and in 2018, a statement in your speech at the military parade dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces caught our attention. You said that Karabakh has always been the land of Azerbaijan, and the Azerbaijani flag flying in Shusha will be brought to Azadlig Square for demonstration soon.

President Ilham Aliyev: Yes.

Boy: Mr. President, we witnessed that in 2020 in that magnificent Victory Parade. Mr. President, in general, we, the youth of Zangilan, are always loyal to our state, nation and the Commander-in-Chief. In general, Zangilan is a district of great geographical and strategic importance. Zangilan is our gateway to Nakhchivan. Zangilan is the entrance to our historical land of Zangazur. Zangilan is located at the crossroads of many roads. In general, Zangilan has great potential for agricultural development. Zangilan has fertile lands, abundant water and fresh air. There are all conditions for agricultural activity in Zangilan.

President Ilham Aliyev: He has not seen Zangilan, but notice how much he loves Zangilan. This is the love of the Motherland. This is patriotism.

Female resident: Zangilan is our childhood fairy tale.

Boy: Mr. President, by the way, the staff of the Ministry of Agriculture visited all our houses. They conducted surveys with us, determined the age group of the population and identified the areas of people’s activity. Let me assure you that that every resident of Zangilan who took part in the survey said that they want to return to Zangilan. I am sure of that and I assure you. Because this is our ancestral land. My grandfather worked here for many years as chairman of a collective farm, Mr. President. My father was a mason. He built about 30 houses in this Aghali village with his own hands. Unfortunately, as a result of Armenian savagery, there are no traces of those houses now. However, we are not sad at all. On the contrary, we are glad that the “smart village” project is being launched today and we are even more delighted that this project starts in our village. Thank you twice for this, Mr. President. Always be there for us.

Mr. President, we always got together in October in a very humble and sad manner to mark the day of the occupation of Zangilan. But starting from this year, we will celebrate Victory Day in October. I am sure that you will join us in the festivities in the village of Aghali. Mr. President, thank you very much.

President Ilham Aliyev: Absolutely! From now on, October will only be a month of holidays for the people of Zangilan because both Aghali village and Zangilan city were liberated in October. Listening to the words of this young man, we see again how strong the will of the Azerbaijani people and their commitment to their homeland are. The Armenians were hoping that our people would forget these places, the old people would forget this and then the old people would naturally die, while young people, those who grew up in different conditions would never want to return here. That was their big mistake. Because we have brought up a young generation with a strong love of the homeland in their hearts. Even the youngsters who have not seen these places lived with a desire to return to their native land and restore justice, and now we are seeing that. The village of Aghali will be rebuilt in less than a year. You have probably seen the models and the project – it will become one of the most progressive villages in the world.

Male resident: Thank you for that, Mr. President, thank you very much.

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you. Did you live here as well?

Male resident: Yes, we now live in Sumgayit.

Female resident: My grandson was born in Baku. However, after completing his military service, he quickly came here. He called us from a village in Fuzuli and asked us not to worry about him because he was not on the frontline. But he was actually in Shusha. I mean that even though the child was not born here, this air, this land and the fairy tales we told him brought him back here. Thank Allah, he is safe and sound, and may Allah grant healing to our veterans. Mehriban khanim, thanks to you our wounded veterans are receiving treatment abroad and you are helping them.

President Ilham Aliyev: Zangilan is a very pleasant place, a beautiful place. Mountains, rivers, forests.

Male resident: Mr. President, we are very grateful to you for valuing our village. May Allah protect you.

Female resident: May Allah grant you good health. There was that baby who needed money for treatment. You took care of her as a mother, thank you very much for that.

First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva: Thank you very much.

Male resident: These are the words that come from our hearts.

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you.

Female resident: We have always stood behind you.

President Ilham Aliyev: Let's lay the foundation stone together now. The great return begins today.

Male resident: Inshallah.

XXX

President Ilham Aliyev then laid a foundation stone for the first “Smart village” project covering the 1st, 2nd, 3rd Aghali villagesof Zangilan district.

President Ilham Aliyev: “The foundation stone of the “smart village” project in Aghali village was laid by President Ilham Aliyev. Karabakh is Azerbaijan!” This is what the capsule says.

Male resident: Let everyone make a contribution.

President Ilham Aliyev: Of course, this is history. Men come forward.

Female resident: Good luck!

President Ilham Aliyev: A monument will be erected here as well.

Male resident: Mr. President, the residents who did not come here also ask us to thank you. Thank you very much for giving such value to our village.

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you and please pass my greetings on to them. We will come here again when the village is ready.

Female resident: Do come over!

First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva: I want to too.

President Ilham Aliyev: Yes, of course. I forgot about you. Leyla, do come as well.

Female resident: Thank you for giving us this excitement. I am 70 years old but I feel as if I were 15. You have rejuvenated us so much.

First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva: Pigeons will fly off now. Take a picture.

Male resident: Mr. President, I was born in this village but have never been here.

President Ilham Aliyev: With the grace of Allah, we will meet again early next year. We will meet with all the residents of Aghali.

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