Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev declared that the Karabakh issue is permanently resolved.
On the third anniversary of the liberation of the city of Fuzuli from Armenian occupation, President Aliyev visited the city and met with the returning citizens. During these interactions, Aliyev pointed out: "Fuzuli, like other cities, had been completely devastated by the Armenians during the occupation. The Azerbaijani state reconstructed a new city in its place after it was liberated."
Aliyev also disclosed that over 800 Fuzuli residents have already returned to the city, with an estimated 2,000 people expected to be residing there by the end of the year. Furthermore, he detailed the Great Return Program's first phase, which aims to facilitate the return of 22,000 citizens to Fuzuli by the end of 2026. By this time, a total of approximately 140,000 individuals are projected to have resettled in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur.
Highlighting the fact that some foreign countries had attempted to persuade Azerbaijan to relinquish Karabakh during the occupation period, Aliyev asserted, "They claimed that there was no military solution to the issue. We demonstrated that a resolution could be achieved through military means, and the matter is conclusively settled. The Karabakh issue is now permanently resolved, and the separatists' chapter is closed."
Aliyev expressed gratitude to the heroic soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation, pledging that their memory will never be forgotten.
Fuzuli, including its city center and most of its villages, had been under Armenian occupation since 1993. Prior to the occupation, it was home to 144,000 Azerbaijanis and covered an area of 1,386 square kilometers. Fuzuli was the site of intense clashes in the 1990s, resulting in over 1,100 martyrs, approximately 1,500 injuries, and the loss of 155 children's parents to Armenian forces.
Azerbaijan's armed forces successfully liberated Fuzuli from occupation on October 17, 2020.
