Ilham Aliyev congratulates nation on liberation of Kalbajar

"Kalbajar district has been liberated from occupation today. I heartily congratulate all the people of Azerbaijan on this occasion. Your native district has been liberated from occupation. The people of Azerbaijan have been looking forward to this day for years. The enemy invaded Kalbajar on 2 April 1993. They savagely expelled innocent people from their ancestral lands and severely damaged the historical sites and nature of Kalbajar," President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in his address to the nation.

"The occupation of Kalbajar district was a great tragedy. The occupation of each district was a great tragedy. After the occupation of Shusha and Lachin districts in May 1992, the occupation of Kalbajar also created a geographical link between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Everyone knows that the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region did not have a border with the Republic of Armenia. Armenia was separated from Nagorno-Karabakh by the Lachin district and the Lachin corridor. The occupation of Lachin, Shusha, and then Kalbajar districts created a geographical connection between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh over a large area, and this was the enemy's goal. After the occupation of Kalbajar, it is possible to say that communication was established between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh in many ways. First of all, weapons, equipment, and manpower were sent there from Armenia. At the same time, it provided great advantages for Armenia's subsequent policy of aggression," the head of state added.