On the occassion of the fifth anniversary of Victory Day on November 8, an official reception was held at the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Russian Federation, APA’s Moscow bureau reports.

The event was attended by heads and members of various diplomatic missions accredited in Russia, military attachés, figures from the fields of science, education, culture, and art of Russia and Azerbaijan, prominent representatives of the Azerbaijani community in Moscow, and Azerbaijani students studying at Russian universities.

Delivering the opening speech, the Military Attaché of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan in Russia, Colonel Kenan Tahmazov, emphasized that the Azerbaijani people had lived for more than 30 years with the pain of their lost lands, but during these years, they patiently built a strong state and a powerful army. He recalled several of the thousands of heroes whose names became symbols of bravery during the 44-day Patriotic War.

Colonel K. Tahmazov added that the people of Azerbaijan are rightfully proud of their brave army and of the victorious Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan — the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev — who brought the joy of victory to Azerbaijani citizens and Azerbaijanis around the world.

Delivering a speech later, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Russia Rahman Mustafayev emphasized the importance of November 8 - Victory Day, noting that this historic event celebrates not only the triumph of our nation but also that of our friends and allies, as well as the triumph of the principles of international law.

The Ambassador stressed that the most important lesson of November 8 is that the principles of international law hold real value only when there is a capable and ready military force standing behind them to ensure their implementation.

R. Mustafayev spoke about the large-scale reconstruction works being carried out in the Karabakh and East Zangezur economic regions of Azerbaijan, where more than 12 billion dollars have been allocated over the past five years, and an additional 8 billion dollars is planned for 2026–2029. He noted that active mine clearance operations are underway in the liberated territories and that approximately 20% of the mine-contaminated areas in Karabakh and the neighboring districts have already been cleared.

The ambassador stated that the process of returning internally displaced persons to the revived districts of Karabakh is ongoing, and the number of permanent and temporary residents there has reached around 60,000.

R. Mustafayev also demonstrated through specific examples that the end of the long-standing conflict has given a strong impetus to the normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations.

Speaking about Azerbaijan-Russia relations, the diplomat emphasized that the end of the conflict made it possible to elevate relations between Baku and Moscow to a new, higher level: “Russia’s important role in halting the hostilities, as well as its active and constructive stance in the post-war settlement and the normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, contributed to the formation of allied relations and led to the signing of the corresponding Declaration in February 2022.”

The ambassador added that Azerbaijan and Russia remain strategic partners, and these relations are a key factor in ensuring peace, security, and stability in the South Caucasus region.

Later, a video presentation dedicated to the construction, reconstruction, and reintegration projects being carried out in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories was shown to the event participants.

After the official part of the event, classical works by composers Gara Garayev, A. Vivaldi, E. Grieg, J. Williams, J. Sibelius, M. Ippolitov-Ivanov, and E. Artemyev were performed by the Moscow Youth Chamber Orchestra under the artistic direction of Russia’s Honored Artist, Chief Conductor and Soloist, Professor V. I. Vorona.

Young Russian performers and students of the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS) — Darya Kovalenko, Nina Batashova, and Yelizaveta Sokolova — performed arias from the opera Koroghlu and Uzeyir Hajibeyli’s operetta Arshin Mal Alan.

During the event, guests also viewed photo displays depicting the 44-day Patriotic War.

Source: en.apa.az