President Aliyev: Azerbaijan’s complete restoration of its sovereignty opens new horizons for the country

Azerbaijan’s complete restoration of its sovereignty as a result of the Second Karabakh War and the anti-terror operation opens up new opportunities and horizons for the country, said President Ilham Aliyev as he addressed the first session of the seventh convocation of the Milli Majlis.

He noted that the thirty years of occupation are now behind and emphasized that the country is embarking on large-scale reconstruction and development efforts, with visible results, News.Az reports.

"In the past 3-4 years, our international standing has strengthened significantly. We have been able to gain worldwide acceptance of the outcomes of the Second Karabakh War and the anti-terror operation," the president stated.

The head of state also highlighted the certain challenges facing the country.

"The task of increasing our military strength is the number one priority. Although the Second Karabakh War and the anti-terror operation are left behind, the recent developments worldwide, the new conflict, the emergence of war zones and the rising tension around us, at the same time, the revanchist trends in Armenia make us keep constant focus on this area," he said.

Noting that the restoration of Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur is also among the challenges facing the country, the head of state added: "However, if we decrease our focus on the military field and do not provide sufficient funds to it, we may encounter problems in the future."

President Aliyev stressed that foreign circles who cannot digest Azerbaijan’s victory are developing new plans against the country.

Emphasizing that the available reports confirm this, the head of state noted: "This is the purpose of the media campaign, slander, denigration and smear campaigns. To keep this topic on the agenda with the hope that someday if Azerbaijan stumbles, weakens, and these dirty actions will start again. That is, we must be aware of that. The government of Azerbaijan knows this, and the public must know this too. Therefore, we cannot afford to be complacent in any way."

The Azerbaijani leader also warned of rising revanchist forces in Armenia.

"Revanchist forces are rising in Armenia. These are not only marginal political elements, but the current leadership of Armenia is also living with these thoughts and illusions," he said.

The head of state emphasized that they refuse to put up with the results of the Second Karabakh War and the anti-terror operation, stating, "Although they may publicly express otherwise, their actions, policies, and steps paint a completely different picture. The formal maintenance of the Minsk Group, which has had no functional significance to date, is a clear indication of this."

"Since the Second Karabakh War, we have significantly increased our military power, created new armed formations, and the number of special forces has multiplied several times. New special units and command forces have been established, and their numbers will continue to grow year after year," he added.

The head of state noted that the combat readiness of the Azerbaijani army has increased, and the supply of military equipment is at the necessary level and will continue to improve: "Armenia and any country behind it must know that it is impossible to speak to us in the language of blackmail and ultimatums. We are ready to give any response; we are capable of this and must always be prepared for it," the president concluded.

News.Az