September 19, 2024 20:03
Afsun Sujayev
YAP Board member
President Ilham Aliyev added another historical day to the calendar, enriching it with honorable events. Thus, based on Article 109, paragraph 32 of our Constitution, on September 20, 2023, taking into account that the rule of law has been ensured throughout the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the state sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan has been restored, he declared September 20 of each year as the Day of State Sovereignty in the territory of the country. The step taken and the decision made in a timely manner inscribed in eternity the names of those who gave their lives and blood for the complete restoration of the sovereignty of our country. There can be no greater price. Of course, only the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, who says: “I know what, how and when to do it,” can do this.
The words “every inch of independent Azerbaijan was sovereign for a whole year” sound magnificent. We were not always sure when these words would be spoken. We did not believe that the powers that had forcibly taken away the mountainous part of Karabakh and the 7 adjacent regions from us and given them to Armenia would allow us to return our historical lands. For almost 30 years, they ruled us, the right side, in the name of “peace negotiations,” which in reality were “Western fairy tales.” They hoped that if the current generation forgot what had happened, it would be easier for them to accept the false reality that they had created together with future generations. Seduced by this, the Armenians and their separatist leaders in Karabakh reached the highest level of impudence and began to openly threaten Azerbaijan with claims of “new war – new territory.” Until the 44-day Patriotic War that began on September 27, 2020, in response to new invasion plans, another attempt at military aggression and consistent provocations by our shameful neighbors destroyed the myth of “Great Armenia” from sea to sea” and for the first time in 200 years, we ended up signing a great historical victory. However, although Azerbaijan liberated its lands from 30-year occupation, full restoration of sovereignty proved impossible. Especially in Khankendi, which became a nest of terrorists, the roots of separatism were not cut. The Armenian citizens of Karabakh, located there and in the adjacent regions, were given a last chance to stay and live on the condition that they give up crude dreams like “independence”, “autonomy”, etc. and get an Azerbaijani passport. The unfortunate nation could not appreciate this chance.
The notorious Armenians did not draw any conclusions from our serious warnings such as Operation Revenge. The task of showing them the only way out fell on the heroic sons of Azerbaijan. As a result of the operation, which lasted only 23 hours and 43 minutes and ended on September 20, the brave Azerbaijani army fulfilled all the tasks assigned to it with high professionalism. Thus, as a result of another brilliant Victory, the sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan was fully restored. Thanks to the glorious Victory, which has exceptional significance in the life of the Azerbaijani people, our tricolor state flag today flutters majestically in all the territories where our sovereignty has been established.
Another point that draws attention to the date of celebrating our sovereignty is that it coincides with the date of signing the “Contract of the Century”, which is the basis and touchstone of all the successes of Azerbaijan. If we draw parallels with these two remarkable, memorable and honorable events, we can see the following pattern: if the masterpiece of the oil strategy of independent Azerbaijan wasn’t signed 30 years ago, today not only our sovereignty would not be fully established, but Azerbaijan, which faced a choice of life and death, could not even talk about its existence at that time. It is impossible to hold back tears of joy even while writing these words. In the true sense of the word, as happy representatives of a happy nation, we are living witnesses of events whose names are written in golden letters.
Let us appreciate our independence and sovereignty!