President Aliyev: Azerbaijan is now treated with great respect worldwide Full speech

In his address marking the Day of Solidarity of World Azerbaijanis and the New Year, President Ilham Aliyev emphasised that Azerbaijan is now treated with great respect on the global stage, pointing to the country’s strengthened international standing as a key outcome of 2025. He highlighted the consolidation of the historic Victory, growing military capability, economic resilience, and the unity between the state and its people as the pillars underpinning Azerbaijan’s rising authority and credibility in world affairs.

Caliber.Az presents the President’s full address as reported by local media:

My fellow citizens,

The year 2025 has now come to an end. It has been another successful year for our country and our people. The people of Azerbaijan have lived in peace, security, and stability. The unity between the people and the government has been a key factor in these achievements. I am confident that 2026 will also be a successful year for our country and that, as always, all the tasks before us will be fulfilled successfully.

This year, we celebrated the fifth anniversary of our glorious Victory with a profound sense of pride. The historic Victory achieved in the Patriotic War five years ago will forever remain in our 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.

This year, during the military parade marking the fifth anniversary of our Victory, a number of achievements in army development accomplished in recent years were demonstrated to our people and to the entire world. Over the past five years, the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan have significantly strengthened their capabilities. Equipped with modern weapons and advanced military hardware, our Army is now fully capable of successfully carrying out any assigned mission.

Over the past five years, we have significantly strengthened our military capacity through the use of domestically produced weapons and equipment, while simultaneously enhancing the Army’s capabilities by incorporating weapons and equipment procured from abroad. The combat readiness of our Armed Forces has increased substantially; the number of Special Forces personnel has grown severalfold; and the newly established Commando Forces now comprise thousands of soldiers and officers.

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. As a result, a large-scale arms buildup is underway worldwide.

Under such circumstances, we must always be ready to defend our territorial integrity, sovereignty, and the choices we have made. During the Patriotic War, the professionalism, heroism, and selflessness of our soldiers, combined with the unwavering unity of our people, paved the way for our Victory. May Allah grant eternal peace to the souls of all our martyrs. Their cherished memory will live on in our hearts forever.

Since our Victory in the Patriotic War, we have worked tirelessly to consolidate and assert this Victory on both the international and political fronts—and we have succeeded. The whole world now recognizes our Victory and clearly sees that we are in the right. The Minsk Group, which was tasked with resolving the Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict, has been consigned to the archives of history. Consequently, the Garabagh conflict has been completely removed from the international agenda.

As a victorious country, we extended a hand of peace to the defeated Armenia. This reflects our far-sighted policy. 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. We achieved a glorious Victory at the cost of the blood and lives of our martyrs on the battlefield. We have sealed this Victory at the most authoritative stage in the world—the White House in the United States—with the participation of the U.S. President. As a result, the restoration of our territorial integrity, which had been our top priority for 30 years, and its recognition by the entire world, has been definitively achieved.

Today, extensive construction work is underway across the country, and development is taking place in every region of Azerbaijan.

We have significantly strengthened our international standing, and 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. This year, Azerbaijan became a member of the D-8 international organization. I should note that Azerbaijan was the first new member to join this organization, which unites eight major Muslim countries and has been operating for nearly 30 years.

This clearly demonstrates the respect and confidence shown toward our country. This year, we were also elected as a full member of the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia. I believe this is a historic achievement, as geographically we are located in the South Caucasus. Our unanimous election as a full member in this format not only reflects our sincere relations with these countries but also clearly demonstrates the importance of Azerbaijan today.

A series of prestigious international events were held in our country this year. Among them, I would particularly highlight the ECO Summit held in the liberated city of Khankendi. The Summit of the Organization of Turkic States, held in Gabala, was another important step toward strengthening the unity of the Turkic world, which we proudly consider our family. Our close relations with a number of international organizations serve our best interests. We have always advocated equal partnerships in our international relations. We have never allowed anyone to interfere in our internal affairs, dictate their will to us, or look down on us—and we have resisted such attempts with firm determination. We have never bowed to anyone, nor have we allowed—or will allow—any interference in our internal affairs. Over time, it became clear to everyone that such attempts were futile, and consequently, they became less frequent. No one has any leverage to exert pressure on us. Our strong political will, the unity between the people and the government, our military strength, economic potential, energy policy, transport capabilities, and other key factors have made Azerbaijan so strong that no one can dictate their will to us.

In terms of economic development, we can take pride in this year’s achievements. Our foreign exchange reserves have reached a historic record of over $80 billion. Our external debt has decreased further and now accounts for only 6.3 percent of GDP, whereas in some developed countries this figure exceeds 100 percent. Our foreign exchange reserves now exceed our external debt by 16 times, and it is no coincidence that leading international rating agencies have upgraded Azerbaijan’s credit rating and raised its investment outlook to positive.

We are successfully implementing the Great Return Program. Extensive construction work is underway in the liberated territories, and approximately 70,000 people already live, work, and study there. Formerly displaced persons have returned to 32 villages, settlements, and cities, where the best living conditions have been created for them.

Today is also the Day of Solidarity of World Azerbaijanis. I sincerely congratulate all Azerbaijanis around the world on this occasion. They know—and should always know—that a strong Azerbaijani state is always by their side. The events of 2025 once again demonstrated that, regardless of the country in which they live, the fate of every Azerbaijani is valuable and important to us. We are united by a common history, language, roots, and culture. Azerbaijanis everywhere are well aware that their Motherland is the independent state of Azerbaijan.

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!