Five years after Armenia’s capitulation to Azerbaijan
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the signing of the trilateral Declaration between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, News.az reports.
On September 27, 2020, in response to another act of military aggression by Armenia, the people of Azerbaijan, under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Victorious Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, launched the Patriotic War with the goal of liberating the occupied territories.
As a result of 44 days of military operations, the victorious Azerbaijani Army liberated the town of Sugovushan in the Tartar district on October 3, the city of Jabrayil on October 4, the town of Hadrut in the Khojavand district on October 9, the city of Fuzuli on October 17, the city of Zangilan on October 20, the city of Gubadli on October 25, and the city of Shusha on November 8. In total, over 300 settlements, as well as strategically important heights in the Aghdara, Murovdag, and Zangilan directions, were liberated from occupation.
With the liberation of Shusha on November 8, Armenia admitted its defeat.
On November 10, the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, signed a Declaration.
The Declaration states:
"We, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan I. H. Aliyev, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia N. V. Pashinyan and President of the Russian Federation V. V. Putin, declare the following:
"1. A complete ceasefire and a cessation of all hostilities in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict shall be introduced at 00:00 hours Moscow time on November 10, 2020. The Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia, hereinafter referred to as the Parties, shall stop at their current positions.
2. Aghdam district shall be returned to the Republic of Azerbaijan by November 20, 2020.
3. Along the contact line in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor, a peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation shall be deployed in the amount of 1,960 military personnel with small arms, 90 armored personnel carriers, and 380 units of an automobile and special equipment.
4. The peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation shall be deployed in parallel with the Armenian armed forces' withdrawal. The period of stay of the Russian Federation's peacekeeping contingent is five years and shall be automatically extended by a further five-year period if none of the Parties declares six months prior to the expiration of the period of its intention to terminate the application of this provision.
5. In order to increase the effectiveness of control over the implementation of the agreements by the Parties to the conflict, a peacekeeping center shall be deployed to exercise control over the ceasefire.
6. The Republic of Armenia shall return Kalbajar district to the Republic of Azerbaijan by November 15, 2020, and Lachin district by December 1, 2020, while retaining the Lachin corridor (5km wide), which shall provide a connection of Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia and shall not affect the city of Shusha.
By agreement of the Parties, a plan for the construction of a new route along the Lachin corridor shall be determined in the next three years, providing communication between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, with the subsequent redeployment of the Russian peacekeeping contingent to protect this route. The Republic of Azerbaijan shall guarantee the safety of citizens, vehicles and goods traveling along the Lachin corridor in both directions.
7. Internally displaced persons and refugees shall return to the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent districts under the control of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
8. The exchange of prisoners of war and other detainees and bodies of the dead shall be carried out.
9. All economic and transport links in the region shall be restored. The Republic of Armenia guarantees the safety of transport links between the western regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in order to organize an unhindered movement of citizens, vehicles and goods in both directions. Control over transport shall be exercised by the bodies of the Border Guard Service of the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia.
By agreement of the Parties, the construction of new transport communications linking the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic with the western regions of Azerbaijan shall be ensured."
Following the signing of the Declaration, the President of Azerbaijan addressed the nation.
The Head of State stated that the trilateral Declaration had historic significance: “An end is being put to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict today. I think that the trilateral statement that has just been signed will put a full stop in resolving the issue.”
The President noted that this statement is our glorious victory: “I am glad to be sharing this good news with the people of Azerbaijan today.”
He emphasized that the military phase of the war had ended: “The military phase is over, and we are moving on to the political stage. We have signed a document that favors our interests the most. Pashinyan has signed it. There was no other option. In essence, this is an admission of defeat. This is a military capitulation.”
President Ilham Aliyev also highlighted the unity of the Azerbaijani people in achieving victory: “These days we saw the unity of the Azerbaijani people. Our army received support from all our regions. Representatives of all nationalities and all religious denominations living in our country showed courage fighting the enemy and restored Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. This is our great asset, a great value.”
He continued: “Armenia is deprived of such happiness because it is a mono-ethnic state; no-one lives there except for the Armenians. In Eurasia, there is no other country like this in our region because no-one can live there. They are expelled, subjected to ethnic cleansing like the Azerbaijanis, or representatives of different nationalities cannot live there. They are being squeezed out, out, and out. But our advantage lies precisely in this”
The Head of State also addressed the issue of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh: “You probably noticed that this statement contains not a single word about the status of Nagorno-Karabakh!. Not a word! The status went to hell. It failed; it was shattered to smithereens. It is not and will not be there. As long as I am President, there will be no status.”
President Ilham Aliyev declared that this war demonstrated to the entire world how great the Azerbaijani people are: “This war showed the whole world how great the Azerbaijani people are – the unconquered people, the people with iron resolve, the victorious people, and our victorious army! We are proud of our people, our military! I am sure that all Azerbaijani citizens believe that these days and minutes are the happiest in their lives. I am also excited to convey good news and these messages to the Azerbaijani people. I am pleased to have signed this historic document. I am happy that we are returning to our homeland, to our native Karabakh, Shusha - Karabakh's crown jewel, and we will always live in these lands! From now on, no-one can move us from these lands! The expression "Karabakh is Azerbaijan!" has already become a symbol of our victory. Today we can say with great pride that Fuzuli is ours, Jabrayil is ours, Zangilan is ours, Gubadli is ours, Aghdam is ours, Lachin is ours, Kalbajar is ours, Shusha is ours, Karabakh is ours, Karabakh is Azerbaijan! Glory to the Azerbaijani people! Long live Azerbaijan!
According to the Declaration, as of 00:00 Moscow time on November 10, 2020, all hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone were halted.
Along the line of contact and the Lachin Corridor, 1,960 armed Russian peacekeepers, 90 armored vehicles, and 380 transport and special vehicles were deployed.
The Lachin Corridor (5 km wide), ensuring communication between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia while bypassing Shusha, was placed under the control of Russian peacekeepers.
To enhance the monitoring of compliance with the agreements, a Joint Russian-Turkish Monitoring Center was established.
Under the terms of the Declaration, the city of Aghdam and the occupied part of the Aghdam district were returned on November 20, the Kalbajar district on November 25, and the Lachin district on December 1. Azerbaijan regained these districts without any losses.
Prisoner and body exchanges between Azerbaijan and Armenia were carried out.
After the war, President Ilham Aliyev decreed that September 27 — the day the Patriotic War began — be designated as Memorial Day, and November 8, the day Shusha was liberated, as Victory Day.
Furthermore, on April 23, 2023, Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity was fully restored with the establishment of a border checkpoint on the Azerbaijan-Armenia border in the Lachin direction. Later, on September 20, 2023, Azerbaijan fully restored its sovereignty — within less than 24 hours, as a result of local anti-terrorist operations, the illegal Armenian armed formations surrendered and accepted Azerbaijan’s terms, completing the restoration of full state sovereignty.
The victorious Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev, raised the three-colored Azerbaijani flag in Khankendi, Aghdara, Khojaly, Asgaran, and Khojavand on October 15, 2023.
Recall that the process of withdrawal of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, temporarily stationed in Azerbaijan after the Patriotic War, was completed on June 12, 2024. The personnel, weapons, and equipment of the contingent fully left Azerbaijani territory.
In addition, the Turkish-Russian Joint Monitoring Center in Aghdam has ceased operations.
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