BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 18. “We demonstrated tremendous heroism during the Second Karabakh War and the anti-terror operation. May Allah rest the souls of our martyrs in peace!” said President Ilham Aliyev as he addressed the people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of the Novruz holiday.
"Thanks to the dedication, professionalism, and heroism of our martyrs, brave soldiers, and officers, we are now building and creating in these lands. Life is returning to these lands. Through extensive construction efforts, we have already facilitated the return of former displaced persons to their ancestral lands, and this process will continue this year.
Unfortunately, the results of the Second Karabakh War did not teach Armenia a lesson. In my Novruz address last year, I spoke about this and expressed my regret that their defeat in the Second Karabakh War did not teach them a lesson. If they had learned the lesson, there would have been no need for the anti-terror operation. After the Second Karabakh War, Armenia failed to draw the right conclusions in the three years that passed and sought to maintain its illegal armed groups on our lands indefinitely. It aimed to perpetuate the existence of the so-called Nagorno-Karabakh republic, which was illegally established here. All this is completely contrary to international law and, most importantly, to the resolve of the Azerbaijani people," said the head of state.