Ilham Aliyev: For three years, Azerbaijan tried to restore sovereignty through peaceful means

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev spoke at the 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku. He said that during the 2020 Patriotic War, Azerbaijan expelled Armenian occupying forces from its captured territories and liberated more than 300 towns and villages on the battlefield.

The head of state noted that for three years following the Patriotic War, Azerbaijan attempted to resolve the issue of fully restoring its sovereignty through peaceful means. According to him, Armenia used the ceasefire as an opportunity to restore its military potential and, with the support of new Western patrons, attacked Azerbaijan once again.

Aliyev stated that this began in September 2023, and that the iron fist of the Azerbaijani soldier then entered the stage once again. He said Armenia's occupying army in Karabakh was completely defeated. The head of state emphasized that Azerbaijan has fully restored its sovereignty and territorial integrity, putting an end to separatism. "Separatist leaders, war criminals, and child killers have been brought to justice in Azerbaijan," he noted.