BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 2
Trend:
There are many lessons of war – both for us and for the whole world, for the region. One of them is that to fight Azerbaijanis can cost dearly, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said while answering questions of young people at a Youth Forum dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Day of Azerbaijani Youth, Trend reports.
“People under the age of 29 are considered young in Azerbaijan. If it is possible to say so, the oldest young man today was 11 years old when I was first elected President. This is the reality. During my tenure, I have tried to make sure that more is done to educate young people. I am very happy and proud that most of those who went forward for the Motherland, for the land were young people. This is a source of pride for all of us. Because we have raised such a generation that even young people who did not see Karabakh and who did not experience that bitter history were ready to die for Karabakh, for the Motherland, for national dignity, to become martyrs, to become wounded but raise the glory of our victorious Army. If this policy did not exist, if young people were not educated in the spirit of patriotism, it would be impossible to know what the consequences of the war would be,” the head of state said.
“Of course, there are many reasons for the victory in the war: both domestic and foreign, and, of course, our strong economy, the modernization of our army. But the main factor is patriotism. I am not saying this just for the sake of it. As the Commander-in-Chief, I said this all the time during the war, as the leader of all operations, and I see that in some cases, even in difficult moments, our servicemen made the impossible possible. The national spirit, national dignity and patriotism drove them forward. No-one can fight against such people. You know, there are many lessons of war – both for us and for the whole world, for the region. One of them is that to fight Azerbaijanis can cost dearly,” President Ilham Aliyev said.
“Of course, in order to raise this generation, we could not simply limit our work to developing programs, holding meetings and listening to reports. In order to be a patriot, everyone must have devotion and attachment to the Motherland in their hearts. But at the same time, everyone, especially young people, should be proud of their homeland. As a country that celebrated the 30th anniversary of our independence last year, we can say today that we have created a country that every citizen can be proud of. If we look at any field, we can see that we have really made historic achievements. Of course, there are problems and shortcomings. We are struggling with these shortcomings and will continue to do so. But if we analyze this period in general, we will see that we have made historic achievements. As I said, the majority of those who put their chests forward in the war are young people. Of course, the Patriotic war is called patriotic because the whole nation was trying to win this war. In my previous speeches, I have repeatedly said that each of us must bring this sacred day of victory closer every day. The purpose of my work in all areas was to resolve the Karabakh issue: whether this or that step will bring us closer to Victory. The older generation, experienced people, commanders, young people – all our people united as one organism, as one fist, and restored historical justice,” Azerbaijani president said.
“I repeat that the role of young people in this area is great. Today, our heroic youth, our youth awarded high orders and medals by the state, have become an example for children at a young age, at the age of 18, 20, 25, 30, 35 years. They understand this responsibility and should behave in such a way that this responsibility is always on them, that children and teenagers look at them and want to be like them. Look at the tens of thousands of young Azerbaijanis who took part in the war and showed heroism. This responsibility falls on them, and I am sure that young people understand this and will be an example for the new generation with their actions,” the head of state said.