Our ancestral historical lands, which were under occupation for about 30 years as a result of the military aggression of Armenia, were liberated from occupation by military and political means during the 44-day Patriotic War, and every day on the path to the glorious Victory was inscribed in the history of Azerbaijan in golden letters.
At the cost of the lives and blood of soldiers and officers of the valiant Azerbaijani army, more than 300 settlements were liberated from occupation in the Patriotic War, including the cities of Jabrayil, Fuzuli, Zangilan, Gubadli; the villages of Minjivan, Aghband, and Bartaz of Zangilan district; the settlement of Hadrut of Khojavend district and many of its villages; the village of Sugovushan of Tartar district; several villages of Khojaly and Lachin districts; as well as important strategic heights in the directions of Aghdara, Murovdagh, and Zangilan. The war ended with the liberation of the city of Shusha, the crown jewel of Karabakh, as Armenia was forced to sign the act of capitulation.
Azerbaijan’s great victory on the battlefield was also underpinned in the political plane – Armenia was forced to vacate Aghdam, Kalbajar, and Lachin districts from occupation, and thus historical justice was restored.
During the 30-year occupation, Armenia wiped our cities, villages, and settlements off the face of the earth, causing tremendous damage to our cultural heritage, historical, cultural, and religious monuments, destroying and vandalizing mosques. Karabakh and East Zangezur, liberated from occupation, are now undergoing a stage of reconstruction. The territories are being cleared of mines, and large-scale restoration and reconstruction work is proceeding at a rapid pace. In order to return internally displaced persons to their native lands, the implementation of the “First State Program on the Great Return to the Territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan Liberated from Occupation,” approved by Order No. 3587 of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated November 16, 2022, has begun. The return of internally displaced persons to the village of Aghali in Zangilan district, the village of Talish in Tartar district, and the city of Lachin has already been ensured, and work in this direction continues.
Guided by paragraph 32 of Article 109 of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, in order to perpetuate the historical victory won in the Patriotic War and establish days of cities liberated from occupation, I hereby resolve as follows:
August 26 – Lachin City Day
October 4 – Jabrayil City Day
October 17 – Fuzuli City Day
October 20 – Zangilan City Day
October 25 – Gubadli City Day
November 8 – Shusha City Day
November 20 – Aghdam City Day
November 25 – Kalbajar City Day.
Ilham Aliyev
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Baku, July 31, 2023
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