Ilham Aliyev: wars are thing of past for Azerbaijan

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has addressed the people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of the Day of Solidarity of World Azerbaijanis and the New Year.

He noted that the people of Azerbaijan have lived in peace, security, and stability in 2025. According to him, the unity between the people and the government has been a key factor in these achievements.

The head of state said the historic Victory achieved in the Patriotic War five years ago will forever remain in the collective memory.

"The people of Azerbaijan will always be proud of this Victory. We brought an end to thirty years of Armenian occupation and restored our territorial integrity, sovereignty, and national dignity," Ilham Aliyev said.

He noted that over the past five years, the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan have significantly strengthened their capabilities.

"We are not preparing for a new war. For us, wars are a thing of the past. However, in today’s world, every country must, first and foremost, take its own security with utmost seriousness. In the current international environment, legal norms are increasingly ineffective, and the principle of “might is right” has been embraced by many countries. Under such circumstances, we must always be ready to defend our territorial integrity, sovereignty, and the choices we have made," Ilham Aliyev said.

The head of state stressed that the whole world now recognizes Azerbaijan's Victory and clearly sees that they are in the right. The Minsk Group has been consigned to the archives of history. Consequently, the Yerevan-Baku conflict has been completely removed from the international agenda.

As a victorious country, Azerbaijan extended a hand of peace to the defeated Armenia.

"We have no intention of waging war endlessly, nor do we make claims to the lands of other countries. We used force solely to restore our territorial integrity, thereby securing our sovereign rights under the UN Charter and UN Security Council resolutions. The peace treaty initialed with Armenia just five years after the Patriotic War once again demonstrates the greatness of our people and the wisdom of our policy. We have been living in de facto peace for about five years," Ilham Aliyev said.

He said that Azerbaijan has significantly strengthened  its international standing. This year, Azerbaijan became a member of the D-8 international organization. This year, it was also elected as a full member of the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia. A series of prestigious international events were held in Azerbaijan in 2026, including the ECO Summit in the liberated city of Khankendi, the Summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Gabala.

"Azerbaijan is now treated with great respect around the world. It is no coincidence that leading international actors are proposing various forms of cooperation with our country. Our foreign policy is multifaceted, and we are successfully pursuing it in many directions," Ilham Aliyev said.

Azerbaijan's foreign exchange reserves have reached a historic record of over $80 billion in 2026, its external debt now accounts for only 6.3% of GDP, leading international rating agencies have upgraded Azerbaijan’s credit rating and raised its investment outlook to positive.

Azerbaijan is successfully implementing the Great Return Program: approximately 70,000 people already live there. Formerly displaced persons have returned to 32 settlements.

In addition, the Azerbaijani leader congratulated all Azerbaijanis around the world on the Day of Solidarity of World Azerbaijanis.

"My fellow citizens, I once again sincerely congratulate you on the Day of Solidarity of World Azerbaijanis and wish you a Happy New Year. I extend my best wishes for peace, tranquility, and happiness to all Azerbaijanis around the world and to the people of Azerbaijan. Happy holidays!" Ilham Aliyev said.