Horadiz, November 12, AZERTAC 

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev has got acquainted with the operational conditions in the command control center on the frontline in Fuzuli district.

Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov reported to the President. The Supreme Commander viewed the enemy’s positions from the command control center.

The head of state was informed of the general situation on the frontline.

President, Supreme Commander Ilham Aliyev presented gifts to a group of servicemen who distinguished themselves while fulfilling combat tasks. The head of state made a speech in front of servicemen, and gave his instructions.

Speech of President Ilham Aliyev

In April of this year, Armenia committed yet another armed provocation against our country and people. The heroic Azerbaijani army, the soldiers and officers of our people gave a fitting rebuff to this provocation. After conducting a successful counter-offensive operation, they dealt a crushing blow to the enemy and liberated part of the occupied Azerbaijani land.

We are on the territory of Lalatapa now. Until a few months ago, this territory was under occupation. We have put an end to this occupation. As a result of the successful counter-offensive operation, more than 2,000 hectares of land on the territory of Fuzuli, Jabrayil and Agdara Districts have been freed from the invaders. Today, the Azerbaijani army fully controls thousands of hectares of land.

I should also note that our counter-offensive operation began with unfavorable positions. We have freed peaks and hills from the invaders and showed great heroism. The April fighting should be included in military manuals. In those battles, the Azerbaijani army showed professionalism, heroism and skill. We suffered losses, may Allah rest the souls of all our martyrs in peace. Our soldiers and officers were injured. During a meeting with the wounded soldiers and officers in a military hospital, I saw high morale in them. They were driven by a common desire of recovering as soon as possible and returning to the combat zone.

This shows again that the people of Azerbaijani are a great people and that citizens of Azerbaijan are patriots. Our soldiers and officers are ready to die for their country and homeland. The April battles are a glorious victory for us. The Azerbaijani army has demonstrated its strength. For many years Armenia had been spreading lies and myths about its army, suggesting that it allegedly has an invincible army. The April fighting showed which army is actually invincible. The Azerbaijani army is invincible. The Azerbaijani army is capable of accomplishing any task. There is not a single military target on the occupied territories and in Nagorno-Karabakh today that we would not be able to destroy. At present, the Azerbaijani army is among the strongest armies. We know this, the people of Azerbaijan and the whole world know this. The Azerbaijani army is ranked highly among strongest armies. The combat readiness of our army is high and it keeps growing every day. Our army is disciplined. The logistical support of our army is at the highest level. In recent years, we have acquired the most sophisticated weaponry, ammunition and military hardware worth billions of dollars. This equipment is based on the latest technologies. The April fighting demonstrated this once again. After the April fighting, we have taken additional measures related to the logistics of our army, allocated funds, purchased the most modern and precision-guided weapons and equipment with high destructive power. These are already at our disposal.

Along with combat capability, the patriotic spirits of our army are also high. We are on our own lands - this is Azerbaijan. Lalatapa, Shusha and Khankendi - all this is Azerbaijan. We are on our own lands and have no claims to the land of any other country. At the same time, we will never allow a second Armenian state to be created on our land. The April fighting proved this again.

In January 1994, a successful operation was carried out in Fuzuli District, which resulted in the liberation of 22 villages from the occupiers. That was a tremendous historic victory. The April battles are another historic victory. The world was convinced once again that Azerbaijan will never put up with the aggressive policy of Armenia. We must and we will restore our territorial integrity. This is our ancestral and historical land, and we will return to the lands that are still under occupation.

The Lalatapa operation is a symbol of our heroism. Lalatapa has gone down in history. If the Armenian armed forces do not draw the right conclusions from the April battles, there will be many more successful operations similar to Lalatapa in the future. The political leadership of Armenia should finally understand that aggressive actions are leading them to a precipice. Azerbaijan becomes stronger and stronger with every day. We have strong potential and a strong army. We are proud of our army, soldiers and officers, and you, our sons standing face to face with the enemy. Thank you! Azerbaijan will continue to develop and we will restore our territorial integrity! Thank you!