OMM Redaksiyası
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev warned against outside interference in the country’s domestic affairs while addressing the 8th congress of the New Azerbaijan Party at the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku.
Aliyev said Azerbaijan could respond several times over to any blow against it. “We can respond to one blow with two, five or even 10 blows, so that everyone knows their place, does not interfere in our affairs or our way of life, and does not tell us what to do,” the president said. He stressed that the country did not need outside patronage.
The Minsk Group and the 2020 war
The president also criticized the position taken by the former OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs during the 44-day war in 2020. According to him, the co-chair countries opposed Azerbaijan during the war and supported Armenia.
Aliyev said the Minsk Group’s main purpose was not to resolve the former conflict but to “freeze” it. France, Russia and the United States co-chaired the group, which was established in 1992 to help resolve the conflict through negotiations. It was dissolved in September 2025 following a request by Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Self-reliance and independent development
Aliyev stressed the importance of Azerbaijan relying on its own strength. He said the country had been left alone in the 1990s, after the First Garabagh War, when it had one million refugees and internally displaced people.
“This was a humanitarian disaster, and we were completely alone. No one helped us during or after the war,” the president said. According to him, Azerbaijan overcame its difficulties through its own efforts, and the will of the people, their faith in the National Leader and his political course contributed to the country’s achievements.
