The visit of President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva to Kalbajar and Lachin districts confirmed this once again. Even a simple listing gives an idea of the scale: five small hydroelectric power plants (three in Kalbajar District and two in Lachin District), Istisu mineral water bottling plant, a hotel complex, a furniture factory and a modular house manufacturing enterprise, a hotel complex, a cinema pavilion, a fishery, a school, a new village, finally, Lachin International Airport—the revitalization of previously occupied lands is in full swing.
And that is not all. Less than a month ago, on July 31, President Ilham Aliyev signed an order “On Establishment of Days of Cities in the Territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan Liberated from Occupation”. The document says that every year August 26 will be celebrated as the day of the city of Lachin: it was on August 26 that Azerbaijan regained full control of this city, which, among other things, has an important strategic position on the Khankendi-Shusha-Lachin-Gerus road. And it is worth remembering the hysterics of ethnic Armenians from Syria who were relocated to Lachin and the village of Zabukh during the occupation. All that loud talk essentially came to naught.
In truth, from the very beginning, Azerbaijan’s reconstruction efforts in the lands liberated from Armenian occupation caused a very nervous reaction in the Armenian political establishment. They could not fail to understand: it is obvious for the entire international community today that for more than a quarter of a century Armenia has been plundering the occupied Azerbaijani lands, but now the true masters have returned and are implementing reconstruction and development programs. Moreover, neither the destroyed infrastructure, nor urbicide, nor even mine terror have derailed Azerbaijan’s strategy of Great Return.
Last but not least, the Armenian revanchists were clearly trying their best not only to prevent Azerbaijan from regaining control over the Lachin road, but also to maintain their “presence” here through those very same Syrian Armenians relocated to Lachin. One can imagine what they feel watching everything that is happening here.
Moreover, it bears another reminder: the plans to reoccupy Azerbaijani lands are not off the agenda at all. Yes, they are not being advertised, and Suren Papikyan, unlike David Tonoyan, does not promise “a new war for new territories”, but the purchase of howitzers from India, which are offensive weapons, constant attempts to conduct “combat reconnaissance” and probe the front edge of Azerbaijan’s defense, to drop in saboteurs, finally, to keep the conflict in an “operational” state and not to give up claims to Karabakh—all this does not look like a series of coincidences. It is all the more hard not to notice that all these efforts are focused mainly on the Kalbajar direction. Rich in resources, Kalbajar District is “wedged” between the territory of Armenia and the current area of temporary deployment of the Russian peacekeeping contingent. This is where the Aghdara-Kalbajar-Basarkechar road runs, which Armenia hoped to turn into a second “Lachin corridor”. But all this strategy could have been successful so long as Azerbaijan, from Armenia’s point of view, has not strengthened itself sufficiently in Kalbajar.
But now the trip of the President and the First Lady, the extensive list of facilities presented to them, are not just an indication of the success of Azerbaijan’s reconstruction strategy. Needless to say, our country would not be rolling out such a large-scale “civilian” program without ensuring military security first.
This means that Armenia can bury its plans for the reoccupation of Azerbaijani territories nice and deep.
The 1990s are gone. Azerbaijan is no longer what it used to be. That was proved in the 44-day war. Having won a military victory, our country under the leadership of its victorious Commander-in-Chief is now confidently winning peace.
