Today, August 26, marks the official celebration of Lachin City Day in Azerbaijan. According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, this significant date is observed annually in accordance with a decree signed by President Ilham Aliyev.
The selection of this date commemorates the strategic entry of the Azerbaijani Army into the city of Lachin on August 26, 2022. On that day, President Ilham Aliyev shared the historic news with the nation via the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
In his announcement, President Ilham Aliyev stated: "Today, August 26, we, the Azerbaijanis, have returned to the city of Lachin. The Azerbaijani Army has deployed in the city of Lachin. The villages of Zabukh and Sus have been brought under control. I congratulate all the people of Lachin and the people of Azerbaijan on this occasion. Long live Lachin! Long live Azerbaijan!"
Following the liberation, the State Flag of Azerbaijan was raised in the city. Major General Kanan Seyidov, commander of the army corps, reported the successful deployment of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev.
The liberation of these ancestral lands, which remained under Armenian occupation for nearly 30 years, was achieved through the military and political successes of the 44-day Patriotic War. Each day leading to this victory has been etched into Azerbaijani history.
To facilitate the return of former internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their native lands, the government launched the "I State Program on the Great Return to the liberated territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan," approved by the President's decree on November 16, 2022. Since then, the number of former IDPs returning to Lachin has steadily increased, with ongoing infrastructure and reconstruction efforts continuing to support the resettlement process.
