Azerbaijan celebrates Constitution Day after winning Karabakh war

Today, Azerbaijan is celebrating the Constitution Day. The Constitution of the Azerbaijan Republic, adopted in 1995, is the first constitution of independent Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, which existed for 23 months from 1918 to 1920, didn't have the basic law of the state. Thus, the history of the Constitution of Azerbaijan mainly dates from the period when Azerbaijan still was a part of the USSR.

The first constitution of Azerbaijan was adopted on May 19, 1921 at the All-Azerbaijan Soviets Congress. New edition of the Constitution, which was in line with the 1921 USSR Constitution, was adopted at the 4th All-Azerbaijan Soviets Congress on March 14, 1925. The final edition of the Constitution of Azerbaijan SSR, adopted on April 21, 1978, was in line with the USSR Constitution, like the previous editions.

After Azerbaijan gained its independence, there was a need for a new constitution. Thus, a special commission was established under President Heydar Aliyev, and the draft of the constitution was presented to the referendum, Trend writes.

The first constitution of the independent Azerbaijan was adopted on November 12, 1995.

The Armenian armed forces committed a large-scale provocation, subjecting the positions of the Azerbaijani army to intensive shelling from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibers in the front-line zone on Sept. 27 at 05:00 (Msk). The command of the Azerbaijani Army decided to launch a counter-offensive operation of Azerbaijani troops along the entire front to suppress the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population. To date, Shusha, Fizuli and Jabrayil districts, including the cities of Jabrayil and Fizuli, the city of Zangilan and part of Zangilan district, part of the Gubaldi region, the city of Gubadli, the city of Hadrut, and a number of villages in the Khojavend region, the villages of Sugovushan and Talish in the Terter region, as well as the strategically important Murovdag mountain were liberated.

On November 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Russian leader said the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides would remain on the positions they hold and Russian peacekeepers would be deployed to the region. Besides, Armenia and Azerbaijan should carry out the exchange of prisoners of war and the bodies of those killed. Aghdam region will be returned to Azerbaijan before November 20, Kelbajar region - before November 15, Lachin region - before December 1.