Aliyev:The Garabagh conflict has been completely removed from the international agenda

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also touched upon Armenian-Azerbaijani relations in his New Year's address. He noted:

We brought an end to thirty years of Armenian occupation and restored our territorial integrity, sovereignty, and national dignity.

This year, during the military parade marking the fifth anniversary of our Victory, a number of achievements in army development accomplished in recent years were demonstrated to our people and to the entire world. Over the past five years, the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan have significantly strengthened their capabilities. Equipped with modern weapons and advanced military hardware, our Army is now fully capable of successfully carrying out any assigned mission.

Over the past five years, we have significantly strengthened our military capacity through the use of domestically produced weapons and equipment, while simultaneously enhancing the Army’s capabilities by incorporating weapons and equipment procured from abroad. The combat readiness of our Armed Forces has increased substantially; the number of Special Forces personnel has grown severalfold; and the newly established Commando Forces now comprise thousands of soldiers and officers.

We are not preparing for a new war. For us, wars are a thing of the past. However, in today’s world, every country must, first and foremost, take its own security with utmost seriousness. In the current international environment, legal norms are increasingly ineffective, and the principle of “might is right” has been embraced by many countries. As a result, a large-scale arms buildup is underway worldwide.

Under such circumstances, we must always be ready to defend our territorial integrity, sovereignty, and the choices we have made. During the Patriotic War, the professionalism, heroism, and selflessness of our soldiers, combined with the unwavering unity of our people, paved the way for our Victory. May Allah grant eternal peace to the souls of all our martyrs. Their cherished memory will live on in our hearts forever.

Since our Victory in the Patriotic War, we have worked tirelessly to consolidate and assert this Victory on both the international and political fronts—and we have succeeded. The whole world now recognizes our Victory and clearly sees that we are in the right. The Minsk Group, which was tasked with resolving the Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict, has been consigned to the archives of history. Consequently, the Garabagh conflict has been completely removed from the international agenda.

As a victorious country, we extended a hand of peace to the defeated Armenia. This reflects our far-sighted policy. We have no intention of waging war endlessly, nor do we make claims to the lands of other countries. We used force solely to restore our territorial integrity, thereby securing our sovereign rights under the UN Charter and UN Security Council resolutions. The peace treaty initialed with Armenia just five years after the Patriotic War once again demonstrates the greatness of our people and the wisdom of our policy.

We have been living in de facto peace for about five years. We achieved a glorious Victory at the cost of the blood and lives of our martyrs on the battlefield. We have sealed this Victory at the most authoritative stage in the world—the White House in the United States—with the participation of the U.S. President. As a result, the restoration of our territorial integrity, which had been our top priority for 30 years, and its recognition by the entire world, has been definitively achieved.