BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 9. Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov congratulated personnel of Azerbaijani Army on November 8 – Victory Day, TurkicWorld reports.

"Dear officers, warrant officers, midshipmen, cadets, sergeants, soldiers, sailors and civil servants! I cordially congratulate you on November 8 - Victory Day, the most glorious page in our military history, and wish each of you success in sacred and honorable service for the sake of further enhancing the defense capability of Azerbaijan," Hasanov said in the congratulatory address.

"The creation of a single command in the Azerbaijani Army, which is the guarantor of the protection and security of the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity of the country, the formation of our army as a regular army and the promotion of military development as a priority is the result of decisive steps taken in this direction by national leader of our people Heydar Aliyev," the minister noted.

"Thanks to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev, who successfully continued the political course of the great leader in the field of army construction, our army today is ranking with the strongest armies in the world, which makes each of us happy and proud," he pointed out. "The result of the high attention and care of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief is that the country's defense capability is increasing every day, and the unity of the people, state and army becomes monolithic."

"The great achievements in improving the defense capability of our republic, as well as large-scale reforms carried out in the army, exercises carried out, successful large-scale counter-offensive operations against Armenian armed forces' provocations further strengthened the army personnel's will for victory, and 2020 entered in the history of the country as the year of Victory," Hasanov said.

"In the counter-offensive operations against saboteurs of the Armenian armed forces in the 44-day 2020 second Karabakh war, which began under the leadership of the victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the brave Azerbaijani Army liberated our historical lands from almost 30-year Armenian occupation," the minister said. "Thanks to the wise and far-sighted policy of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the strength of our army, the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan was restored."

"Large-scale provocations by the Armenian armed forces on the border on September 12-14, 2022 were stopped by decisive response measures taken by the Azerbaijani Army. The local anti-terrorist measures carried out by the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan on September 19-20 of this year against the Armenian armed forces and Armenian illegal armed groups in Karabakh have been successfully completed. The armed formations of separatists, posing a threat to the territorial integrity and sovereign rights of our republic, were eliminated by units of our army," he noted.

"In the liberated territories, where our tricolor flag proudly waves, one of the main symbols of our state independence, the courageous Azerbaijani Army, further strengthening its positions, makes a worthy contribution to the 'Great Return' program and carries out reconstruction and construction work at the highest level," Hasanov said.

"Once again, I cordially congratulate each of you on November 8 - Victory Day, I wish you good health, long life, family happiness, success in honorable service to the Motherland - the independent Azerbaijani state," he concluded.

On November 8, 2020, during the second Karabakh war, Azerbaijan liberated Shusha - a city of great spiritual significance for the Azerbaijani people - from Armenian occupation.

The liberation of Shusha was the culmination of the second Karabakh war. By the decree of the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, dated December 3, 2020, November 8 is celebrated as Victory Day in the country annually.