5th anniversary of Victory marked in South Africa
Baku, November 5, AZERTAC
On November 4, 2025, on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of Azerbaijan’s glorious Victory in the Patriotic War, an official reception in honor of Victory Day was held by the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Republic of South Africa (RSA), and a photo exhibition dedicated to Victory Day was organized as part of the event.
The reception, held at the prestigious Pretoria Country Club, was attended by heads of departments, deputies and officials of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense of the Republic of South Africa, the dean of the diplomatic corps and the regional group dean accredited in the RSA, the heads of diplomatic missions of foreign states in the country, military attachés, representatives of the media and public circles, as well as senior officials of major companies.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chargé d’Affaires of the Azerbaijani Embassy Huseyn Rahimli informed attendees that this year Azerbaijan is celebrating the fifth anniversary of its glorious Victory in the Patriotic War. He emphasized that the Azerbaijani people, demonstrating courage, bravery, and unity, ended nearly 30 years of aggression and occupation, thereby restoring the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.
He noted that the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia was triggered by the latter’s territorial claims in the late 1980s, followed by full-scale aggression in the early 1990s. As a result, 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory was occupied. Hundreds of cities, towns, and villages were looted and razed to the ground, and more than a million people were forced to leave their homes. The most serious violations of international law — amounting to war crimes, crimes against humanity, acts of genocide, and ethnic cleansing — were committed during the aggression.
Rahimli pointed out that over the past 30 years, the people of Azerbaijan never accepted the occupation and demonstrated unwavering determination to restore their territorial integrity. During this period, thanks to the foresight and wisdom of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, Azerbaijan achieved comprehensive development, strengthened its political and economic independence, and created a powerful army.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, who successfully continues this path, has repeatedly underlined the importance of economic strength as a prerequisite for restoring the country’s territorial integrity. As a result of consistent and well-thought-out policies, Azerbaijan gained strength and secured its economic independence. This economic growth led to a breakthrough in army building, as the Azerbaijani Armed Forces were equipped with advanced weapons and military technology.
During his speech, Rahimli recalled that on the morning of September 27, 2020, the Armenian Armed Forces launched a large-scale provocation by intensively shelling the positions and settlements of the Azerbaijani Army along the front line using large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery. The Azerbaijani Army command decided to carry out a rapid counter-offensive along the entire front, which later became known as Operation Iron Fist, marking the start of the Patriotic War.
As a result of the 44-day war, thanks to the determination and heroism of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces under the leadership of the Victorious Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan liberated more than 300 cities, towns, and villages from occupation. The local counter-terrorism measures carried out by Azerbaijan in September 2023 finally ended the 30-year unlawful occupation of its territories and eliminated the violent separatist and terrorist threat.
In turn, Head of the Department of International Relations of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of South Africa, General Dion de Vos, who delivered a speech at the event on behalf of the Ministry, congratulated the people of Azerbaijan on Victory Day and extended his best wishes. He highly appreciated Azerbaijan’s achievements on the path to its cherished Victory and emphasized that this glorious Victory is exemplary in the struggle to strengthen independence and restore territorial integrity.
The General especially noted that on this significant holiday — the celebration of the 5th anniversary of Victory — South Africa shares the joy of friendly Azerbaijan and wished the country and its people new successes. General de Vos also expressed his views on the potential for developing bilateral relations and expanding mutually beneficial areas of cooperation, noting that a solid foundation has been created for establishing stability and peace in the region based on the successful experience of Azerbaijan.
The event then continued with an artistic program.
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