President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev visited Guzeykhirman village in the Khojavend district on July 11.

The head of state was briefed on the restoration of individual houses and infrastructure in the villages of Guzeykhirman and Guneykhirman.

President Ilham Aliyev then met with residents who had returned to both villages.

Emin Huseynov, Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Aghdam, Fuzuli, and Khojavend districts, briefed the head of state on the completed social infrastructure projects in the Guzeykhirman and Guneykhirman villages.

Guneykhirman village is part of the administrative-territorial unit of the same name in the Khojavend district. The village was occupied by Armenian armed forces in 1992 and was liberated in 2023 as a result of the anti-terror measures. Before the occupation, residents were mainly engaged in livestock breeding, viticulture, and farming. The village had two schools, a kindergarten, a hospital, a cultural center, a club, a library, a sports complex, a bakery, and a communications office.

The village has a total of 549 individual houses. Of these, 170 are beyond repair, while 379 can be restored. Fifty houses are ready for occupancy, while restoration works are continuing in 147 houses. Preparatory works are underway for the restoration of another 182 houses.

A few days ago, 18 families comprising 72 people returned to the village.

A number of social infrastructure projects have been implemented in the village. A new gas pipeline has been laid, the existing gas line has been repaired, pump equipment has been installed in sub-artesian wells, and construction of the pumping station is ongoing. The internal water supply network has been reconstructed, and a fiber-optic cable has been laid.

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Guzeykhirman village is part of the administrative-territorial unit of the same name in the Khojavend district. The village was occupied in 1992 and was liberated as a result of the anti-terror measures carried out by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in 2023. Before the occupation, residents were engaged in viticulture, grain cultivation, and livestock breeding. The village had a secondary school, kindergartens, a club, and a library.

There are 447 individual houses in Guzeykhirman village. Of these, 65 are beyond repair, while 382 can be restored. Restoration works are underway in 244 houses, 100 of which are already ready for occupancy. Work on the remaining 144 houses will be completed in the coming months. Preparatory works are also underway for the restoration of the remaining 138 houses.

A few days ago, in the initial stage, 21 families comprising 87 people returned to the village.

A number of social infrastructure projects have been implemented in the village. New gas lines have been laid, the existing gas line has been restored, sub-artesian wells have been equipped with pumping equipment, and the water supply network and pumping station have been reconstructed. Existing transformer substations, overhead power lines, and the internal electricity distribution network have been restored, and a fiber-optic cable line has been laid. In addition, the 460-seat Guzeykhirman village secondary school and the 40-seat nursery-kindergarten have been renovated. Public catering facilities have also been put into operation in the village.

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Afterward, the head of state visited the home of village resident Isa Gozalov and had a conversation with him.

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Then, President Ilham Aliyev met and had a conversation with residents who returned to both villages.

President Ilham Aliyev said:

- Every time former internally displaced persons return to their ancestral lands, it is a celebration for all of us—for the entire Azerbaijani people. Today, hardly a month passes without another group of former internally displaced persons returning to their native homes. Sometimes these returns take place every week, sometimes every month, and at times even every day. From now on, this process will gather even greater momentum.

As you know, following the Second Garabagh War, our first priority was to clear these territories of mines, and this work is still ongoing. The Armenian occupiers left our lands in complete devastation—not a single building remained intact. We then had to create the necessary infrastructure by providing electricity, water, gas, and roads. Only after that could we begin the construction and restoration of homes.

Since the key infrastructure issues—roads, transport, bridges, gas, and electricity—are being addressed, the return of former internally displaced persons will also accelerate. Of course, after the Second Garabagh War, these areas, including much of the Khojavend district and these villages, remained under occupation. But I know that you believed, just as we did, that this situation would not last, that every inch of our land would return to Azerbaijan. We would restore it to Azerbaijan—and we did.

For the past five or six years, our people have lived with a profound sense of pride—and rightly so. We have demonstrated to the whole world that we are a great nation, faithful to our ancestral traditions. Although our lands remained under occupation for many years and a large part of our people lived as refugees and internally displaced persons, our will was never broken. We not only believed, but knew, that the day would come when we would return to these lands as their rightful owners. To achieve this, the entire nation had to stand united—and it did. The Second Garabagh War demonstrated this to the whole world.

Of course, this unity grew stronger over the years and, step by step, day by day, brought us closer to this glorious Victory. Everyone contributed in their own way—some through their work in the economy, some by strengthening our Army, and others by raising their children in a spirit of patriotism. Each, in their own way, helped bring this historic day closer.

Before the souls of our martyrs, we must once again pledge to ourselves, to our people, and to our state that, under no circumstances, will we ever allow our national dignity to be undermined. From now on, no one will ever again harm our people. Our state is strong, our Army is strong, and our will is unshakable. The Second Garabagh War and, three years later, the anti-terror operation once again demonstrated to the whole world what our people are capable of.

Over the past 80 years, no state and no people have achieved a victory comparable to that won by the Azerbaijani state and its people—and in just 44 days. Today, we all witness the events unfolding around the world. Regrettably, conflicts and wars continue to erupt in different regions. They have not ceased; they continue. Looking at the course of these wars, the reality is plain to see, and comparison only makes it even clearer. When we compare, we once again see that despite the extremely difficult terrain, the enemy's seven lines of defense, the support Armenia received from major powers, and the constant pressure, threats, and intimidation directed at us throughout those 44 days, we achieved our objective. We prevailed because justice was on our side, our will was strong, and the Azerbaijani people stood united. During those 44 days, not a single one of our servicemen abandoned the battlefield. Yet the Armenian side itself has acknowledged—even at the highest level—that it had between 11,000 and 12,000 deserters.

This is the greatness of our nation. Our young people put their lives on the line to break through those defensive lines. They gave no thought to whether they would survive. I once again pray that Allah grants mercy to all our martyrs. What inspired them was their national spirit and dignity. The overwhelming majority of those who liberated Garabagh from the occupiers had never even seen these lands. By the time they came into the world, these lands were already under occupation. Yet the pain of Garabagh weighed so heavily on our society and our people, and this wound ran so deep, that every patriot lived with a single purpose—to contribute to our Victory.

Today, more than 90,000 people live, work, and study in the liberated territories. Their number is growing every month and will continue to increase. The state has also built and restored beautiful homes for you. Every modern amenity has been provided. The nature is beautiful, the air is clean, the water is plentiful, and the land is fertile.

I simply wish you good health and a happy life. May you never again experience grief or hardship, and may you raise your children in a spirit of patriotism. Let them grow up with love for the Azerbaijani people and the Azerbaijani state in their hearts.

And when necessary—although I believe that day will never come again—everyone must know that the "Iron Fist" remains in place and will always remain in place.

Now, let us take a photo together.

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Afterwards, commemorative photos were taken.