April Victory was the basis of the Victory in the Patriotic War

We celebrate the fifth anniversary of the April 2016 battles, which are a glorious page in the struggle for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and, in general, in the military history of our people. It was in these battles that the aggressor Armenia saw for the first time the strength of the modern Azerbaijani Army, the invincibility of our heroic soldiers, ensigns and officers, was defeated and forced to retreat.

The April victory was the result of the long-term purposeful work of the President, Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, in the field of army building. The April battles were also the basis of the great Victory in the Patriotic War.

Our respect and gratitude to our servicemen, who five years ago realized the dream of victory of our people with their courage and bravery, especially to our heroes who sacrificed their lives or lost their health for the freedom of our lands, are endless.

My colleagues and I always cherish the memory of our martyrs, try to provide material and moral support to their families. We have been with the family of the legendary scout, Lieutenant-Colonel Ragub Orujov since the day he was killed, and we consider it a moral duty. In order to preserve the memory of the heroic officer, we have fully supported the writing and publication of a book about him called “Murov Eagle”. So far, the book has been published in about 5,000 copies and donated to participants of various patriotic events, as well as libraries and educational institutions.

On the first anniversary of the April Victory – in 2017, we organized an international judo tournament dedicated to the memory of Ragub Orujov and other martyrs. For the next two years, we held it as a traditional race of friendship and solidarity. Unfortunately, we had to postpone the tournament last year due to a coronavirus pandemic. We want to restore the tournament after the end of the global scourge and the permission for sporting events.

We celebrate the fifth anniversary of the April war with great joy and pride in connection with the liberation of Karabakh and the restoration of the territorial integrity of our country.
I bow before the souls of the heroic sons of our people – our martyrs and wish patience to their families.
Azerbaijan is proud of its glorious military history and brave sons!

Azer ASKEROV