Baku ( WNAM MONITORING ): On November 8, a Military Parade dedicated to the fifth anniversary of the Victory in the Patriotic War was held at Azadlig Square in Baku.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif attended the parade. The national anthems of Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Pakistan were performed. The memory of National Leader Heydar Aliyev and heroic martyrs of Azerbaijan was honored with a minute of silence. Minister of Defense Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov reported to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev. The head of state delivered a speech at the parade.
Speech by President Ilham Aliyev
– Dear servicemen.
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
I sincerely congratulate you and the entire Azerbaijani people on the fifth anniversary of our glorious Victory. I also warmly welcome the leaders and delegations of the fraternal countries who have accepted my invitation.
Today, my dear brother, the President of the Republic of Türkiye, esteemed Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is participating in our parade. From the very first hours of the Second Karabakh War, my dear brother showed his support for Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani people and the Azerbaijani Army. His political and moral support gave us further strength and inspiration. The fraternal Turkish people have consistently supported Azerbaijan under the leadership of esteemed President Erdogan. His statement during the war that “Azerbaijan is not alone, Turkiye is with Azerbaijan!” was a very serious message to the whole world. The Azerbaijani people will never forget this fraternal support.
One year after the war and our glorious Victory, the presidents of Turkiye and Azerbaijan signed the Shusha Declaration in the historic city of Shusha, raising our relations to the highest level – that of an alliance. Today, the participation of Turkish soldiers in our military parade is yet another manifestation of our unity.
Five years ago, my dear brother Recep Tayyip Erdogan was also with us in the Victory Parade. Today, another dear brother is participating here with us. The Prime Minister of brotherly Pakistan, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, is our guest. The state and people of Pakistan showed great support and solidarity with Azerbaijan during the 44-day Patriotic War. Today, for the first time, Pakistani soldiers are also participating in the event with us at Azadlig Square. This is a manifestation of the unity of the peoples and armies of three countries – Azerbaijan, Turkiye and Pakistan.
I welcome all the guests from friendly countries. Their presence here with us today once again clearly demonstrates our unity, solidarity and mutual support.
In the early 1990s, as a result of Armenia’s policy of aggression against Azerbaijan, approximately 20 percent of our territory was occupied. One million Azerbaijani citizens became refugees and internally displaced. War crimes were committed against our people. The Khojaly genocide was committed, a policy of ethnic cleansing was carried out. But this did not break our will. Azerbaijan never intended to come to terms with the occupation. And while we were conducting peace negotiations, we consistently stated that if the negotiations failed to yield results, Azerbaijan would liberate its historical and ancestral lands by all means, including military force.
The result of the lengthy negotiations was zero progress. The main reason for that was that Armenia had no intention of vacating even an inch of our land of its own accord. Some states supporting Armenia stood in solidarity with them by providing political, economic and military support. Their idea was to sever our ancestral Garabagh land from Azerbaijan and annex it to Armenia. Our policy was to restore our full territorial integrity and sovereignty. Back in 2003, when I was first elected President of Azerbaijan, I declared that we would liberate our native land at any cost. We gathered strength and multiplied it month after month, year after year. We were able to make our voice heard in the international arena. Our country’s position on the conflict within all leading international organizations took precedence. Many decisions and resolutions formed the legal and political basis of our Victory. We built a strong economy — had we not done so, our financial capacity would have remained very limited. We had gained economic independence, and Azerbaijan today is not economically dependent on any country. This gave us greater political power. We were a country pursuing an independent policy. These factors, along with others, brought us closer to the glorious Victory.
Public and political stability was fully established in Azerbaijan. Civil solidarity, civil unity, the unity between the people and the government have been the key factors. We have raised the younger generation in the spirit of patriotism, in the spirit of love for the Motherland, and our young people, putting their chests forward and going under the bullets for 44 days, liberated our historical lands from the occupiers. Patriotism and our moral qualities are some of the key factors behind our glorious Victory.
We have successfully implemented energy and transport projects, becoming an indispensable country for many countries across a vast geography. Along with all these factors, army building was always a priority. We have created a strong army, strong Armed Forces. We have increased the combat capability of our army, equipped our army with the most modern weaponry and ammunition. All these and other factors paved the way for our Victory, for our glorious Victory.
Armenia, however, failed to draw the right conclusions and, in the run-up to the Second Karabakh War, became even more impudent by putting forward new territorial claims against us. They were threatening us with a new war. They even said that they would wage a new war for new lands and occupy all of Azerbaijan. They said that their tanks would be on the streets of Baku. They said that they would be drinking tea in Baku. In fact, their dreams did come true. We made them come true. Their tanks are on display in the Military Trophies Park today. Armenian war criminals are standing trial in Baku and drinking Azerbaijani tea in the pre-trial detention center.
For 44 days, our glorious Armed Forces moved forward every day, not taking a single step back. They showed great professionalism, courage, heroism and selflessness. May Allah rest the souls of all our martyrs in peace. We have asserted ourselves in the whole world as a strong state and a victorious people. We have proven this on the battlefield. Over the course of the 44 days, more than 300 cities and villages were liberated from the enemy on the battlefield. We were pushing forward, chasing the enemy, and every liberated city and village, every Azerbaijani Flag raised there inspired our Army and people even more. Finally, on November 8, the city of Shusha, which was considered an “impregnable fortress”, was liberated from Armenian occupiers. Our glorious Victory March continued successfully from September 27 to November 8. We kept advancing towards the glorious Victory, crossing mountains, rivers and valleys, climbing steep rocks. The liberation of Shusha exactly five years ago broke the back of the Armenian army, and after that they surrendered. A day later, on the night of November 9-10, Armenia officially surrendered and signed an act of capitulation. Thus, we restored our territorial integrity, historical justice, international law and national dignity ourselves.
Today, Garabagh and East Zangazur are reviving. Today, the Great Return Program is well underway. Schools, hospitals, industrial enterprises, power plants, reservoirs, houses are under construction. More than 60,000 people already live, work and study in the liberated lands. I congratulate my dear people on all these historic achievements once again. We have lived these five years with tremendous pride. I am sure that from now on, the Azerbaijani people will forever live as a heroic and victorious people, and the Azerbaijani state as a victorious state. We, the owners of these lands, have returned to Garabagh and East Zangazur, and we will live forever on these lands from now on. The Azerbaijani Flag will forever fly over them.
I once again sincerely congratulate the entire Azerbaijani people on the occasion of our glorious Victory. I wish the Azerbaijani people good health and continued success. Garabagh is Azerbaijan!
Speech by President Receb Tayyip Erdogan
– My dear brother, President Ilham Aliyev.
Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif.
The heroic servicemen of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.
My Azerbaijani brothers.
I am greeting you with most sincere feelings of respect and love.
I am very happy to be here with you on the fifth anniversary of our Victory. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my brother Ilham Aliyev for the kind invitation. I am bringing to you the greetings from your brothers in Turkiye. I am bringing you the most sincere love of 86 million people.
I am sure that our brothers in the Organization of Turkic States are experiencing the same enthusiasm as we are on this proud day. May our Victory be blessed! May Allah grant Azerbaijan and the whole Turkic World many more such victories! I would like to thank all the representatives of friendly countries who are with us today, including my brother Shehbaz, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, who is sharing in Azerbaijan’s joy.
My brothers, today we are all celebrating the fifth anniversary of a magnificent and unparalleled Victory that ended thirty years of occupation. I once again remember all our martyrs who died in the Patriotic War – the brave sons of Azerbaijan. May Allah bless the souls of our martyrs and grant them paradise, Inshallah.
Speech by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
My dear brother, President Ilham Aliyev.
My dear brother, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
My dear brother, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, UAE.
Heroic personnel of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan.
My Azerbaijani brothers and sisters.
Esteemed dignitaries, ladies and gentlemen,
Assalamu Alaikum and a very good afternoon.
I am grateful to my dear brother, President Ilham Aliyev, for his gracious invitation and the warm hospitality extended to me and my delegation on this joyous occasion. I bring with me the heartfelt greetings of the people of Pakistan who equally share the pride and joy of their Azerbaijani brothers and sisters on this historic day, celebrating the fifth anniversary of the glorious victory in the 44-day Patriotic War.
Ladies and gentlemen, Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Türkiye, three brothers whose hearts beat together, are present here today along with our brothers from UAE, standing shoulder to shoulder, celebrating this momentous occasion.
And what a proud and scintillating sight it is right here to witness our valiant Armed Forces marching beside their Azerbaijani and Turkish brothers as the skies come alive with the roar of the JF-17 Thunder jets, a resounding symbol of our enduring friendship, which has, alhamdulillah, grown from strength to strength over these years.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am also reminded of the Azerbaijani and Turkish military contingents that proudly marched alongside the Pakistani Armed Forces in Islamabad amid tremendous applause on the 14th of August this year when we celebrated Mark-e-Haq to commemorate our historic victory in the four-day war with India.
I vividly recall memories of my own childhood. Ladies and gentlemen, I recall my good old memories of my childhood when my late father shared stories of the struggle and sacrifice of our forefathers and their conviction and self-belief that led to the creation of Pakistan in 1947. Today, as I witness your radiant faces and shining eyes, those cherished childhood memories are being refreshed in my mind.
Ladies and gentlemen, our national poet, Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal, a guiding light of our freedom struggle, beautifully expressed in a poetic verse.
Iqbal says, and I translate in English, “In bondage, neither swords nor strategies work. They fail. They don’t work. But when the fire of conviction awakens, then all chains of bondage are shattered, are cut.” This is what Iqbal said decades ago. And these timeless words remind us that freedom is not won by force alone, but it is unwavering belief and commitment that breathes life into such heroic struggles.
Ladies and gentlemen, five years ago, the courageous sons of Azerbaijan, under the bold and visionary leadership of my dear brother President Ilham Aliyev, rose to respond to the call of history the world witnessed in awe as Azerbaijan’s brave Armed Forces liberated their ancestral lands of majestic Karabakh. Throughout this entire struggle for liberation, Pakistan stood like a rock with its brotherly country, Azerbaijan, and will stand with our brothers and sisters in Azerbaijan for all time to come.
Honorable guests, Azerbaijan’s victory in Karabakh was a glorious vindication of a just and a fair cause, a beacon of hope for all nations around the globe, striving for sovereignty and self-determination, including the brave and resilient people of Gaza and illegally Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
This year, the entire world witnessed how the great people and resolute leadership of Azerbaijan and Türkiye stood firmly with Pakistan during the four-day war with India in May this year. Under the dynamic and fearless command of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, who is present here to witness this wonderful ceremony, Pakistan’s highly professional armed forces delivered a bloody nose to our enemy with a precise and highly effective military punch that stunned the enemy into shock and disbelief. Our ever-vigilant Air Force Hawks, ably commanded by Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Babar Sidhu, shot down seven highly sophisticated enemy aircraft with lightning speed in defense of the motherland. Indeed, Pakistan, like our Azerbaijani and Turkish brothers, seeks peace, but let there be no doubt at all that no one can ever be allowed to challenge our sovereignty or undermine our territorial integrity.
Ladies and gentlemen, today as we celebrate the past, we also look to the future with great hopes and aspirations. It is heartening to see the return of displaced families to their homes in Karabakh. My dear brother, Mr. President, it is also a great testament to your personal strong commitment to the welfare and progress of the people of Azerbaijan.
The astounding speed of reconstruction under your leadership, Mr. President, in Shusha, the jewel of Karabakh, Khankendi, Fuzuli, Lachin, and all across the liberated territories of Karabakh is absolutely phenomenal and beyond imagination. Also, one of the most successful models of development is found in present-day Türkiye, whose architect is none other than my dear brother, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is also here as one of our very honorable guests to witness this great ceremony. I must express my sincere admiration for his visionary leadership that has transformed Türkiye into a modern, progressive, strategic, and economic world power.
Ladies and gentlemen, true victory lies not on the battlefield alone, but in building bridges of peace and understanding. My dear brother, President Ilham Aliyev, I deeply admire your sagacious leadership that guided Azerbaijan on the difficult journey leading to peace with dignity and mutual respect between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Having secured a resounding military victory in Karabakh, Mr. President, you have now won peace through your outstanding, skillful diplomacy. Here, I must acknowledge and appreciate President Donald Trump for his exemplary leadership that culminated in the success of these peace efforts. It was President Trump’s bold and decisive leadership that brought about the ceasefire between Pakistan and India, restoring peace in South Asia, averting a major war, and saving millions of people.
Ladies and gentlemen, our common resolve for peace has most recently been tested in the case of Afghanistan. I am grateful to my dear brother, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for his invaluable contribution in facilitating the peace efforts between Pakistan and Afghanistan, along with the state of Qatar. This is a true reflection of the strong and time-tested fraternal ties between our countries that stand together through thick and thin.
Ladies and gentlemen, while we celebrate victory today, we must also remember the fallen. May Allah rest the souls of the martyrs of this glorious struggle of Azerbaijan, who laid their lives to reclaim their ancestral land with their blood and invaluable sacrifices. Their courage, fortitude, and sacrifice wrote an immortal chapter in annals of history that will continue to inspire generations for all time to come.
And today, as the beautiful Khari Bulbul flowers bloom across the liberated land of Karabakh, nurtured by the soil and enriched with the blood and sacrifice of those brave sons and daughters, they bring the glad tidings of peace and hope.
May Allah Almighty grant our great nations the strength to continue marching resolutely towards a promising future of progress and prosperity.
Long Live Pakistan-Azerbaijan friendship!
Long live friendship between Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Türkiye!
Thank you all.
