Today, on September 27, exactly three years ago, the 44-day second Armenia-Azerbaijan Karabakh war started. The counter-offensive operation in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region became a turning point in the history of not only Azerbaijan but also the entire region.
Azerbaijan's Armed Forces defeated the Armenian army, restored the country's territorial integrity, thus creating a fundamentally new reality in the region under the leadership of Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.
The National Day of Remembrance in Azerbaijan is held on September 27.
The whole country and millions of Azerbaijanis in various countries remember the martyrs who gave their lives for the liberation of the Karabakh region from the Armenian occupation.
We revere the memory of hundreds of civilians of Tartar, Barda, and Ganja cities, who were subjected to treacherous bombardments. We remember the journalists and civilians who died as a result of mine explosions in the liberated Azerbaijani territories after the hostilities ended. And of course, on this day, all of Azerbaijan remembers tens of thousands of victims of the Armenian occupation, who died during the first Karabakh war and during 30 years of attempts to resolve the Karabakh conflict peacefully.
The Armenian aggression inflicted indelible damage on three generations of Azerbaijanis and this will never be forgotten the people of Azerbaijan. However, at the same time, September 27 not only is a day of the bitterness of loss and pain but also a day of national pride.
The Armenian aggression, has been a wound for three generations of Azerbaijanis, but today, September 27, is the day when we not only share the bitterness of sorrow, pain and loss experienced by the nation over the past decades, but also the day of national pride.
The 44-day second Karabakh war truly united the Azerbaijani people. Millions of Azerbaijanis, regardless of nationality, faith and other characteristics, united around President Ilham Aliyev and Azerbaijani army, having passed the most serious test in the recent history of Azerbaijan.
Using an 'iron fist', Azerbaijan liberated its lands from the invaders, thus fulfilling its historic mission. It was thanks to the efforts, strategy and long-term effective policy of the head of state that the basis was prepared, which made it possible to liberate the occupied territories. A stable and developing economy was built, stability was ensured, a modern and well-equipped army was formed - all these components of a successful state determined the success.
On September 19-20 of this year, on the eve of the anniversary of the start of the 44-day war, the Azerbaijani army achieved yet another victory. As a result of anti-terrorist measures conducted in less than a day in Karabakh, the separatist regime surrendered and accepted all of Azerbaijan's conditions.
Today hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijani flags will be waving from windows, on balconies and streets on September 27, which are not only a tribute to the memory of martyrs, but is also a symbol of the unshakable will of the Azerbaijani people.