BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 26. On the occasion of
26 June – Armed Forces Day and the 108th anniversary of the
establishment of the Azerbaijan Army, servicemen’s marches
accompanied by military orchestra were organized along designated
routes on various streets and avenues of the capital, as well as in
the cities of Nakhchivan, Sumgayit, Ganja, Barda, Khankendi,
Lachin, and Shusha.
This was announced in a report published by the Ministry of
Defense of Azerbaijan.
Prior to the marches, the memory of the National Leader, Heydar
Aliyev, and Martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the Motherland
was honored with a minute of silence.
The National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan was
performed.
Patriotic songs performed by military orchestras and the marches
accompanied by military songs led to great interest and applause by
onlookers.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan began celebrating Armed Forces Day on May
22, 1998, when National Leader, President Heydar Aliyev issued
Decree No. 707, officially declaring June 26 as an annual public
holiday. The holiday commemorates the historical founding of the
country's first regular military unit, the Separate Corps, which
was established by the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic on June 26,
1918.
