To the participants of the international conference on the theme “Guardians of Sovereignty: Constitutional Status of the Prosecutor’s Office”

Dear participants,

I sincerely welcome you to the international conference dedicated to the theme “Guardians of Sovereignty: Constitutional Status of the Prosecutor’s Office.”

The year 2025 has been declared the “Year of the Constitution and Sovereignty” in our country. This is no coincidence. This year, we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the 5th anniversary of our historic Victory.

Although our country restored its independence in 1991, due to the prevailing socio-political situation at the time, as well as the military aggression of the Republic of Armenia, the adoption of our national Constitution was only possible in 1995. For nearly 30 years after regaining independence, a significant part of our lands remained under Armenian occupation. Thanks to the determination of the Azerbaijani people and the heroism of our Armed Forces, our territories were liberated as a result of the 44-day Patriotic War in 2020. Following the anti-terror operation carried out in 2023, the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan were fully restored. Thus, the legal force of our Constitution has been extended to the entire territory of our country.

Immediately after our historic Victory, large-scale restoration and reconstruction works were launched in the Karabakh and East Zangezur regions, and thousands of people have returned to their native lands. Despite all the tragedies we endured, Azerbaijan has always advocated a peace agenda, and our efforts in this direction culminated in the initialing of a peace agreement in Washington on August 8 of this year.

Dear participants,

The participation of delegations, including the heads of national prosecution services from friendly countries, is a clear demonstration of the importance they attach to the development of interstate cooperation. National prosecution authorities stand at the forefront of the fight against all manifestations of crime, including crimes that threaten the constitutional foundations of the state. By doing so, they not only fulfill the duty of ensuring legality but also serve the protection of constitutional order and sovereignty. In this regard, prosecution authorities can be regarded as the guardians of state sovereignty. I wish you every success in this honorable mission.

I am confident that the present conference will contribute to the exchange of best practices in prosecutorial activities, the identification of common challenges and the discussion of ways to jointly address them, as well as the strengthening of mutual cooperation.

Once again, I welcome you to Azerbaijan and wish the conference every success.

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 19 September 2025