Azerbaijan's Minister of Defence, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, has congratulated members of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces on the occasion of Armed Forces Day, highlighting the country's military achievements and ongoing defence reforms.
In a congratulatory message published by the Defence Ministry, Hasanov said President Ilham Aliyev, who serves as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, has made defence and military development one of the government's top priorities, Caliber.Az reports.
The defence minister said the measures taken under President Aliyev's leadership have been an important component of Azerbaijan's broader reform agenda.
He recalled that, under the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the Azerbaijani army had achieved a resounding victory in the Patriotic War and had also successfully carried out an anti-terrorist operation, as a result of which the country's lands were liberated from occupation.
Hasanov noted that the grand military parade held in Baku last year to mark the fifth anniversary of Victory Day served as clear evidence and a demonstration to the whole world of Azerbaijan’s military might.
The defence minister added that Azerbaijani servicemen are currently carrying out security duties in the liberated territories while also supporting reconstruction projects and the implementation of the government's "Great Return" programme, aimed at facilitating the return of formerly internally displaced residents to those areas.
By Sabina Mammadli
