Azernews.Az

By Vafa İsmayilova

Azerbaijani Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov and his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar have discussed historic victory that ended the 30-years-old conflict between Baku and Yerevan over Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region that along with the seven adjacent districts came under the occupation of Armenian armed forces in the early 1990s.

At a meeting held at the Central Command Post of the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry in Baku on November 11, the two ministers discussed bilateral military cooperation, the ministry reported.

At the meeting, Akar said that Azerbaijan’s victory will go down in the history in golden letters.

“Azerbaijan launched a counter-offensive operation to liberate its lands. This operation reached a certain point and yielded a result. You really have gained a victory of historic value. This 44-day counter-offensive operation ended, however, be confident that it will be talked about for 44 years,” Akar told the meeting with the Azerbaijani military.

He said the operation showed Azerbaijan’s power to the world.

“This operation was an awakening. We saw here the Azerbaijani army’s strength,” Akar said.

The Turkish minister said that along with Baku, Ankara, Izmir and Istanbul also celebrated the victory.

He underlined a special role of martyrs in liberating the occupied lands.

“We have never forgotten and will never forget their courage,” he added.

Speaking at the meeting, Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov said the Azerbaijani people had lived with a longing of victory for 30 years.

As part of a trilateral declaration signed by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia on the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Turkey and Russia are going to sign a deal on creating a Turkish-Russian joint ceasefire monitoring centre.

The clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan resumed after Armenia launched large-scale attacks on Azerbaijani forces and civilians on September 27. Five Azerbaijani civilians were killed on the first day of the Armenian attacks. Ninety-three Azerbaijani civilians were killed in Armenian's indiscriminate attacks on Azerbaijani civilians. Azerbaijan launched counter-offensive operations that ended in the liberation of over 300 settlements, villages. Azerbaijan also liberated five city centres and the historic Shusha city.

The 44 days of war ended with the Russian-brokered peace deal signed on November 9 by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders. The peace agreement became effective on November 10 and envisages the de-occupation of Azerbaijan’s Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin regions by December 1 as well as the return of Azerbaijani IDPs to Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven adjacent regions under the control of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

For about three decades, Armenia failed to implement the UN Security Council resolutions demanding the withdrawal of the Armenian troops, which was the main obstacle to the resolution of the conflict.

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