President Ilham Aliyev attends inauguration of Victory Park in Baku

On November 8, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, and their son Heydar Aliyev attended the opening of Victory Park in Baku.

According to Report, the head of state raised the tricolor State Flag of Azerbaijan at the park.

They laid a wreath and flowers at the Victory Monument here.

The President then addressed the nation.

Address by President Ilham Aliyev

- Dear compatriots,

Azerbaijan celebrates Victory Day today. I sincerely congratulate all the people of Azerbaijan, I congratulate the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan on this occasion.

On this day so dear to us all, I pray for Allah’s mercy for our heroic martyrs who gave their lives for the Motherland. May Allah rest the souls of all our martyrs in peace!

We avenged the blood of our martyrs on the battlefield. The 44-day Patriotic War is our glorious history, our brilliant Victory. We avenged the blood of the martyrs of both the First Karabakh War and the Second Karabakh War, as well as the anti-terror operation, on the battlefield, and restored our territorial integrity and sovereignty.

For 44 days, the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan only moved forward. Going forward every single day, every single hour, we liberated more than 300 towns and villages from the invaders on the battlefield and forced the enemy to sign the act of capitulation. The liberation of our cities and villages in a matter of 44 days demonstrated to the whole world the strength of our Army, the professionalism of our servicemen, the dedication and determination of our people. Although our lands remained under occupation for 30 years, the Azerbaijani people and the Azerbaijani leadership never came to terms with this occupation. But many countries behind Armenia were resorting to different methods to make us put up with this occupation. The people of Azerbaijan remember very well the great powers, the mediators who were allegedly trying to resolve this issue, the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, repeatedly declaring that there was no military solution to this conflict. What did they want to say to the people of Azerbaijan? They wanted to say that we should come to terms with this occupation. Because that was exactly their plan. Their plan was not to resolve the issue, not to end the occupation, but to keep Azerbaijani lands under Armenian occupation forever. We saw and knew it. As the years passed, as each round of negotiations ended in failure, both the Azerbaijani leadership and the Azerbaijani people witnessed it firsthand. But we could not put up with that situation. Back in 2003, when I was first elected as the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, I declared that we would restore our territorial integrity at any cost, the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan would not be a subject of negotiations, and life has proven me right.

We were preparing, building a strong army and securing economic development, because, unlike Armenia, we did not receive any external assistance. We relied solely on our own strength. Our economic development, our great political influence, the fact that we were able to resolutely speaking our mind from international lecterns, the unity of the government and people, the upbringing of the young generation, the establishment of the spirit of patriotism within society – all these factors led us to Victory. A combination of all these factors made this Victory possible. In a matter of 44 days, our heroic children, our soldiers put their chests forward, put their life on the line to overcome the enemy's six to seven defense lines and showed the whole world the indomitable spirit, the strength and determination of the Azerbaijani people. We forced the enemy to sign the act of capitulation. That enemy had said in Khankendi in 2019 that “Karabakh is Armenia and full stop”. We forced him to say that “Karabakh is Azerbaijan!” today, and he will say this in the future too, much to his reluctance.

Some of Armenia’s Western patrons now want to portray Armenia as a “peace dove”. As if this 30-year occupation had never happened, as if there were no destruction, as if there were no atrocities, as if there were no Khojaly genocide. As if our mosques and graves had never been destroyed, as if the entire Karabakh and East Zangezur had never been razed to the ground. In other words, they want to make the world community forget about it. But we will never forget this, the people of Azerbaijan must never forget this. The generations coming after us must know this history and must never forget it. Just as we did not forget Karabakh for 30 years, just as our people were bringing this Victory closer for 30 years by pursuing this goal. This historical memory must never fade from our minds.

During the war, Armenia committed war crimes, bombed our peaceful cities. Every day, our cities and villages were subjected to artillery fire using “Iskander M”, “Tochka U”, “Elbrus” and other long-range destructive weapons. This, however, did not affect the resolve of the Azerbaijani people in the slightest. On the contrary, our compatriots retrieving the bodies of their loved ones from under the rubble lived with one goal – the war must not stop. We stopped the war on time. I had said on the first day of the war that the enemy should give us a timetable for a withdrawal from our lands – when they will withdraw and from which district – and then we will stop the war. However, some people, and this is only natural, believed that the leadership of Azerbaijan might not be able to continue to withstand the pressure of international pro-Armenian forces. Our people were worried that our work might be left unfinished. This is natural, because Azerbaijan is not a particularly large country. The co-chairs of the Minsk Group stood behind Armenia for 30 years, one giving them free weapons, one giving them money, one giving both weapons and money, and also giving them political support – all with the aim of keeping our lands under occupation forever. Therefore, of course, some citizens of Azerbaijan were worried that the war might remain unfinished, that we might not be able to achieve what we wanted, that someone would stop us. But I said no, no-one can stop us. We would rather die than stop. We will fight to the end, restore justice, restore international law and show Armenia its place.

On November 8, 2020, the historic Shusha operation almost broke the enemy’s back. Only one day later, in the early hours of November 10, Armenia was forced to sign the act of capitulation, and we stopped the war.

Today's reality, our present-day successes show that it was the only right step. We liberated Aghdam, Kalbajar and Lachin districts from occupation without a single shot being fired. After that, as a result of a focused and thought-out policy and decisive steps, we significantly strengthened our political, strategic and military-strategic positions. After we secured control over important heights, the fate of the group of separatists and those behind them in Karabakh and Armenia was obvious – they submit to the laws of Azerbaijan, surrender or die. We gave them a choice, but they still didn't make the right decision. They believed again that someone would come to their rescue, that someone would prevent Azerbaijan from doing its rightful work. The anti-terror operation in September 2023, which lasted only a few hours, was yet another lesson for them. Thus, the roots of separatism were cut off and its book was closed. There are no more traces of separatists in the land of Karabakh.

This entire glorious history was written by the people of Azerbaijan with their blood and strength. During and after the Patriotic War, as well as during and after the anti-terror operation, we forced the enemy to return to us the four villages of Gazakh district that they had occupied in the early 1990s. This did not happen of their free will. Yes, no force was used, but there was no need for it. I believe that the results of the Second Karabakh War and the anti-terror operation are sufficient for Armenia to take the right steps. However, there is one issue here; we should not forget that the anti-Azerbaijan forces, who are unable to digest this situation, as well as Islamophobes and Azerbaijanophobes living in certain Western capitals, are inciting Armenia to a new war. This could end in complete tragedy for the Armenian state. I have repeatedly tried to explain to the Armenian side, both in my official speeches and during my contacts, that they should stay away from this and not fall for these provocations. In order to secure their own interests, certain Western states, which consider themselves their friends, are ready to sacrifice them so that there is conflict in the South Caucasus, more bloodshed, so that they cam still fish in the murky waters. It is not too late, so Armenia should give up this policy of armament; it should be stopped. I have said this many times, and they know that they should pay attention to my words. It's not too late; they should abandon it, as they will never be able to compete with us. We don't want war. We have achieved what we wanted: we have ensured our territorial integrity and our state sovereignty. Our territorial integrity has been secured along all borders, and former IDPs and refugees are returning to their ancestral lands.

We are now engaged in construction work. This is our top priority now. However, when we see that Armenia and the forces behind it, who view Azerbaijan as an enemy and have declared a cold war on us, are arming Armenia, and Armenia is arming itself, we are forced to take the necessary steps. A history of thirty years of occupation cannot be erased from our memory, and as I said earlier, it never should be. We must be, and are, ready for new provocations at any moment. The Armed Forces of Azerbaijan are ready to repel any provocation at any time. If someone tries to test our strength again, they will be defeated once more and disgraced. Because the 44-day Patriotic War, the anti-terror operation, and our Victory, in general, are not only about Armenia’s defeat but also about a bitter and humiliating defeat for those behind them. This is what they cannot forgive us. That is why a large-scale and heinous campaign has been unleashed against Azerbaijan in the West. Discrediting our country, spreading unthinkable lies, defaming, blackmailing, slandering, and insulting Azerbaijan through media resources and non-governmental organizations under their control, which are a source of fake news – these are the goals of Western countries and failed Western leaders who consider themselves humiliated. These are the ugly methods they are using. The people of Azerbaijan are fully aware of this, and the people of Armenia should also know who their real enemy is. It is not us. We didn’t do them any harm. We gave them bread. They lived in our lands and built a life for themselves, although they were sent here only in the 19th century. What did we do wrong? They committed genocide against us—the Khojaly genocide. For thirty years, they destroyed all our cities and villages, desecrated and demolished our mosques, and mined that entire region. More than three hundred people have already become victims of mines in Azerbaijan. Therefore, we are not their enemies; their enemies are the politicians who stand behind them and then run away like rabbits and mice. Let them listen carefully to my words.

In the meantime, we will continue to grow stronger. No pressure or intimidation has affected us to this day, and it never will. The unity of the nation and the government is the main source of our strength. The developing Azerbaijan is a source of pride for us, and our glorious Victory is our historic achievement, our historic triumph.

Today, on Victory Day, Victory Park was opened in one of the most beautiful places in our city. The beautiful Victory Arch, the Victory Monument, and a beautiful park covering an area of about 10 hectares have already been built. The Victory Museum is under construction below it, with its design currently underway. A future Victory Museum will also be located there. In this beautiful place, in one of the most beautiful spots in our city, a new symbol of our bright Victory has been created. The Victory Arch is located at the intersection of two roads leading into the city. It has a modern style and a majestic appearance. It is 44 meters high, and the number of its columns is also 44. There are many important symbols in this park and the future museum. These symbols will be with us forever. This Victory will be with us forever. From now on, the people of Azerbaijan will live as a victorious nation, and the state of Azerbaijan will live as a victorious state.

Long live the people of Azerbaijan, long live the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, Karabakh is Azerbaijan!