BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 10. People will return to the Lachin city, Zabukh and Sus villages in 2023, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in an interview with local TV channels on January 10, Trend reports.
"I believe that the liberation of Lachin is a historic event for many reasons. First, it is our historical land and was the first district outside the borders of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous District to be occupied. In fact, after the occupation of Lachin district, a geographical connection was established between Armenia and former Nagorno-Karabakh, and this paved the way for our future defeat. On the other hand, we knew that the road from Lachin to Khankendi passes through the center of Lachin. During the last conversation with the President of Russia on November 9, I specifically insisted that a clause determining the fate of the city of Lachin should be included in that Statement. Of course, the Armenian side was opposed to that. But the Armenian side was not in a position to dictate anything at the time. This is why, on my insistence, a clause was inserted that the process of approval of the new road would take place within three years but it wasn’t elaborated what will happen after that. We agreed on this route with the Russian side, with the Russian Ministry of Defense, and implemented it within a year and a half. Immediately after the end of the war, we started negotiations with the Russian Ministry of Defense. I sent a special team and several options were discussed. Some options were unfavorable and the most acceptable option was chosen. We started work immediately. When the work was completed, I declared that the road was ready. However, we had to face Armenia's frivolous approach yet again. Because Armenia had to build a part of the road in its territory as well. They simply believed that this would never happen, that Lachin would remain in their hands, and the peacekeepers were almost stationed there. Because, unlike the other cities, there were some surviving buildings in Lachin. But I declared, I said that we had completed the road on the 2nd day of the month, and if our word was not taken into account on the 5th of the month, we would enter the Lachin corridor without asking anyone and without looking at anything. After that, the frenzy began – calls, orders, requests and so on. At that time, some of the Karabakh Armenians asked us to give them time until August 25. They promised that no-one would burn houses. They promised that we would get out of Lachin, Zabukh, and Sus. I said, well, I believe you, and people believe my word. But if, as they say, they go against their word, we are ready to come and stand there at any time. And so it happened. On August 25, Lachin and two villages were vacated. On August 26, we entered Lachin, and I experienced those unforgettable moments and feelings again. It was both a very emotional and proud day. In other words, we must finish the unfinished work. Who will do it for us? We have to do it ourselves. There is still unfinished work, and we are gradually putting things back on track.
But I should also note that the people of Lachin, especially the people living in the city of Lachin, were probably somewhat desperate. Because during the negotiations, in general, the Armenian side did not even want to talk about returning Lachin to Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, the co-chairs of the former Minsk Group also believed that Lachin district should be given to Armenia. This is why the people of Lachin were more desperate. I should also state that the negotiations continued for a long time even during the occupation period, i.e. they ended in failure precisely, among other things, because of Lachin and Kalbajar. Because they were ready to vacate five districts. But on the condition that Lachin and Kalbajar remain in their hands forever. In other words, we endured so much because of the people of Lachin, the people of Kalbajar, because of our historical lands, because of our territorial integrity. But I think that the people of Lachin will be the first to return to their native places. Because an instruction was given immediately, extensive construction and restoration work is underway in the city of Lachin, and now we will decide when we can return the first residents of Lachin to the city of Lachin this year. This year, we will also return former IDPs to the villages of Zabukh and Sus. Houses were built by some rich Armenian in the village of Zabukh. I temporarily gave those houses to the soldiers. I said that our citizens would not live in those houses. We use them as barracks. But a new settlement is being built for the people of Zabukh in the village of Zabukh, and this year we will send them there," President Ilham Aliyev said.