President Ilham Aliyev addressed the people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of December 31 - Day of Solidarity of World Azerbaijanis and New Year.

APA reports that the appeal was broadcast on television.

The petition reads:

- Dear compatriots.

A year ago, when I addressed the people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of the New Year holiday, I said that I am sure that 2022 will be successful for our country.

And so it happened.

All tasks before us were fulfilled, Azerbaijan became stronger.

We further consolidated our historic Victory on the battlefield two years ago at the political level.

In October of this year, at the Prague and Sochi meetings, Armenia officially recognized the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our country.

I believe that after that, all conditions for signing a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia have been met, and a peace treaty can be signed based on the five well-known principles proposed by Azerbaijan.

This year, we have further increased our military power, and great attention is always paid to this area.

Azerbaijan has shown its military power during the Second Karabakh War, and at the same time, during the two years since the war, we have gained even greater military potential as a result of the reforms carried out, the creation of new armed units, and the equipping of our army with weapons and modern equipment.

Several military operations were held this year, and these operations once again confirmed the high level of our combat capability.

The Farrukh operation, the "Revenge" operation, as well as the clashes in the direction of the border of Azerbaijan and Armenia in September resulted in our next brilliant victory.

As a result of the border clashes, Azerbaijan was able to further strengthen its positions on many favorable strategic heights.

On August 26 - much ahead of schedule, we liberated the city of Lachin and at the same time returned to the villages of Zabukh and Sus of the Lachin district.

This is a great achievement.

Large-scale construction and restoration works are already underway in the city of Lachin.

I am sure that in 2023, we will return the people of Lachin to Lachin, the first former settlers will return to their native land.

At the same time, life has already been restored in the village of Agali this year.

The first project has been implemented and the people of Dangila have returned to their native land.

This is a historical event.

Because less than two years after the war - only a year and a half later - we have already returned the first ex-settlers to their native lands, and created wonderful conditions for them.

This once again shows that our state is strong and our will is in place.

At the same time, it shows the greatness of our people.

It shows that our citizens are attached to their ancestral lands, as they say, they are taking land.

Even young people, children and schoolchildren who have never seen those places returned to Agali with great enthusiasm, and this once again shows the greatness of our people.

It shows that IDPs are looking forward to the day of their return.

The Great Return Program is successfully implemented.

In several cities, construction works have already reached a large scale.

First of all, in Shusha, at the same time, in the cities of Aghdam, Fuzuli, Zangilan, and Lachin, extensive construction works are underway, hospitals, schools, and residential buildings are being built.

In addition, the Master Plan of more than 10 villages has been approved and I have personally laid the foundations of several villages.

In general, I must say that the Master Plans of all our liberated cities and towns have been prepared and approved.

All work will go according to the Master plans.

At the same time, all our plans are reflected in the Great Return Program, and I am sure that hundreds of thousands of former displaced persons will return to their native land in the near future.

Of course, in parallel with this, demining works are carried out.

Unfortunately, Armenia did not provide us with accurate mine maps, about 300 Azerbaijanis were either killed or seriously injured as a result of the mine tragedy in the post-war period.

This year we inaugurated Zangilan International Airport.

It is the second airport in the liberated lands.

The third airport will be put into operation after a maximum of two years.

In connection with the opening of the Zangezur corridor, large-scale works are being carried out, railways and highways are being built.

The opening of Zangezur Corridor should be mandatory, whether Armenia wants it or not.

We have shown a strong will, everything is going according to plan.

Our demand is reasonable and fair.

We must and will have a connection with the main part of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, which is its integral part.

In the liberated areas, our historic buildings, including our mosques, are being thoroughly restored and rebuilt.

I mentioned this figure, the Armenians completely destroyed 65 out of 67 mosques during the occupation.

Their restoration and reconstruction have actually already started, and the mosques in need of repair are also being repaired.

I must also inform you that the main role in the construction and repair of our religious monuments is played by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

Virtually all mosques are being rebuilt on the lines of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

Of course, to achieve all these achievements, we must have a strong economy, and economic independence has long been secured.

Today, Azerbaijan is one of the rare countries in the world that does not depend on anyone economically and politically.

If we look at the economic indicators of this year, we will see that the results for the post-pandemic period are satisfactory.

The economy grew by about 5 percent, with the non-oil sector growing by more than 9 percent.

At the same time, our gross domestic product reached a record high of $130 billion this year.

This is a historic achievement.

In parallel with this, our foreign debt has decreased significantly.

A few years ago, I set this task before the government, that our foreign debt should be less than 10 percent of our gross domestic product.

Last year it was 17 percent, according to the latest results this year it is 9.5 percent.

For comparison, I can say that in some developed countries, the foreign debt is 100, 120, or even 150 percent of the gross domestic product.

That is, we are not completely dependent on international financial institutions.

Of course, we hope that international donor organizations will direct their attention to us as well.

Because such great destructions have never happened in history.

That is, Azerbaijan has faced a great environmental disaster, urbicide.

Unfortunately, international donor organizations did not help us with one manat or one dollar.

Except donor organizations, no one helps us, we carry out and will carry out all restoration work at our own expense.

This year, many significant events took place in the field of energy.

In the middle of the year, a memorandum on strategic partnership in the field of energy was signed between Azerbaijan and the European Union.

This memorandum is already being implemented, Azerbaijan is increasing its natural gas exports to world markets.

At the end of this year - on December 17, a new megaproject was launched.

Laying an electric cable through the bottom of the Black Sea will allow Azerbaijan to play its role in this field on a larger scale.

Because the main supplier of this electricity will be Azerbaijan, and it will be green energy.

I have already said several times that Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur should be a green energy zone.

We are already achieving it and will be.

At the same time, Azerbaijan's extensive renewable energy sources are of great importance both for our country and for the world.

I recently mentioned these numbers, the potential of approved renewable energy sources is 184,000 megawatts.

157 thousand of them exist in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea.

That is, it will turn our country into an indispensable partner, an indispensable partner in the field of energy.

We have traditionally been seriously engaged in the regional development program.

I had 30 trips to the regions this year, including 21 trips to liberated lands.

I declared this year "Year of Glass".

We celebrated Shusha's 270th anniversary with a large and grand celebration.

The next year was declared the "Year of Heydar Aliyev".

Next year we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Great Leader.

Our greatest respect for the memory of Heydar Aliyev is our loyalty to his path.

We are going this way, and today Azerbaijan's realities, successes, and victories, look, are at the foundation of this way.

Today is the Day of Solidarity of World Azerbaijanis.

I sincerely greet all our compatriots living in the world and wish them success.

They know that there is a strong independent state of Azerbaijan and it stands behind them.

I am sure that Azerbaijanis living abroad today are rightfully proud that they are the children of independent Azerbaijan, victorious Azerbaijan.

The Congress of World Azerbaijanis held in Shusha this year was a historic event.

The fact that this congress was held in Shusha had a great symbolic meaning.

Just as the Azerbaijani society and the citizens of Azerbaijan are united as one fist, I am sure that the Azerbaijanis of the world, the absolute majority of them, will also show the same approach.

In any case, the strong state of Azerbaijan is a great support for them.

Dear compatriots.

I sincerely congratulate you on the occasion of the New Year holiday and the Day of Solidarity of World Azerbaijanis, I wish you good health and success.

Happy holiday!

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President Ilham Aliyev addresses the people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of December 31 - Day of Solidarity of World Azerbaijanis and New Year.

APA reports that the appeal is broadcast on television.