"We have shown to the whole world who is who. We have proved to the whole world that we are a great nation," President of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, said while addressing the military in Shusha.
The president stressed that the Azerbaijani people had demonstrated their greatness both during the war and in the post-war year.
"Armenians have destroyed our cities. Azerbaijani citizens and foreigners visiting these places are stunned and horrified about the level of vandalism. Could there be so much hatred? Could there be such barbarism? Armenians committed this during the occupation. They committed this atrocity by demolishing and looting all the buildings and even taking gravestones to Armenia. During the war, we obeyed the laws of war; we did not violate the laws of war, we behaved with dignity, as we behave with dignity in life and politics," Aliyev said.
Victory Day celebrations are underway in Azerbaijan. The conflict in Karabakh escalated into the war on September 27, 2020. After a 44-day war, Azerbaijan regained control of the Armenian-occupied part of Karabakh and surrounding areas. Thousands of people from both Armenia and Azerbaijan have been killed in the conflict. On November 8, 2020, the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, announced the liberation of Shusha. The tricolor flag of Azerbaijan was hoisted in the center of the city. On November 10, the Russian-mediated leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a joint ceasefire statement.
