Azerbaijan celebrates National Salvation Day on June 15

On June 15, Azerbaijan celebrates one of its most important state holidays - the Day of National Salvation. On June 15, 1993, National leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev was elected Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Azerbaijan. This was his return to the leadership of Azerbaijan, which had only recently regained its independence.

Having regained its independence two years earlier, in 1991, Azerbaijan faced the threat of losing its statehood in the summer of 1993. The Armenian aggression against our country began in 1988. But by February 1992, the scale of the fighting had changed. February 26, 1992 – Genocide of Azerbaijanis in Khojaly. 8-9 May 1992 – occupation of Shusha city. May 17, 1992-the capture of Lachin, in April 1993 – Kelbajar was under Armenian occupation.

The incompetence of the then authorities began to manifest itself from the very beginning of Armenia's open claims to Karabakh. The people demanded from the then leadership of Azerbaijan clear actions to counteract the aggression.

As a result, by the summer of 1993, the political situation in Azerbaijan was close to critical and a real threat of civil war was brewing in the country: the People’s Front (FN), which came to power in May 1992, was completely unable to govern the state. In order to avoid bloodshed, the people demanded to invite Heydar Aliyev, the outstanding leader of Azerbaijan, to Baku.

After returning to the administration of the state, in a very short time, Heydar Aliyev managed to prevent the brewing civil war, brought the country out of the crisis and began to scrupulously lead it along the path of development. On September 20, 1994, the "Contract of the Century" was signed in Baku - the leading oil companies of the United States, Great Britain, France, and Norway began to develop the richest fields of "Azeri", "Chirag" and "Guneshli". The "Contract of the Century" was the beginning of a long journey, on which today numerous victories are marked by milestones - the successful operation of the BTC, the conclusion of new, even more ambitious and important contracts for the country and for the energy security of Europe-the Southern Gas Corridor (TANAP) project and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP). All of these became possible only thanks to the selfless work and foresight of the great Heydar Aliyev, who laid a solid foundation for today's prosperous Azerbaijan.

Since 1998, the National Salvation Day of the Azerbaijani People has been officially included in the calendar of state holidays of Azerbaijan.

This year, the Azerbaijani people celebrate this day with a special feeling. After all, the worthy successor of the cause of Heydar Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, thanks to a wise, purposeful and successful policy, gloriously achieved the realization of the holy goal of the Azerbaijani state and people – the liberation of Azerbaijani lands from the Armenian occupation that lasted for 30 years!