Baku, December 24, AZERTAC

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has thanked those who sent him congratulatory letters on his birthday.

First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva has shared a video on her official Instagram page, AZERTAC reports.

The head of state said: “Numerous letters of congratulations are being sent to me on the occasion of my birthday. I want to thank everyone who sent all these messages. I have never celebrated my birthday. I always met with the IDPs and martyr families on my birthday. This year, on the eve of my birthday, Mehriban khanim and I visited the liberated lands in Zangilan and Gubadli and marked this day with the soldiers, if it is possible to say so.

Today I am in Baku with my family. This time there will be no celebration either, we will not celebrate anything. We will simply sit together and talk.

Year 2020 is coming to an end. This year has been very successful for us. We have won a historic victory. We have won the Victory. We have liberated our lands from occupiers. At the same time, it was a sad year because we had martyrs. Our young children died for the Motherland, for their land, and rose to the peak of martyrdom. May God have mercy on all our martyrs! May God grant patience to their relatives! May God heal all our wounded soldiers!

I am confident that the coming years will be successful for our country. Azerbaijan will follow the path of development and progress, and our destroyed cities and villages will be restored. Great construction work will begin next year. I am confident that the people of Azerbaijan will once again show their greatness to the whole world, show unity and solidarity in this creative work, as was the case during the war.

Dear brothers and sisters, thank you again for your wishes. I sincerely wish you a Happy New Year and the Day of Solidarity of World Azerbaijanis. Karabakh is Azerbaijan!