Russia invites Ilham Aliyev to attend 2020 Victory Day celebrations

Moscow expects Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to attend the celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War in Moscow in May 2020, Russia's envoy to Baku Mikhail Bocharnikov said.

He assured that the Victory Parade in Moscow next year will be grandiose, recalling that now it is necessary to fight the manifestations of Nazism, fascism and xenophobia. "This is exactly what Russia strongly advocates at the UN, and we are very pleased that the Republic of Azerbaijan always supports us in this issue. I am sure that next year we will be happy to welcome Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Moscow," 1news.az cited the Russian diplomat as saying.

The ambassador recalled that during the years of World War II, Azerbaijan, like Russia, was part of the USSR - "our common homeland." "And everything that was done for the Victory over fascism was done by all the peoples of the Soviet Union. Azerbaijanis fought on the fronts as heroically and selflessly as the entire Soviet people. If my memory serves me right, about 600 thousand Azerbaijanis went off to war and only half of them returned... For the courage shown at the front, 128 Azerbaijanis were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, 14 became cavaliers of the Order of Glory, 170 thousand were awarded orders and medals," Bocharnikov said.