The Milli Majlis held a meeting on 27 September. The National Anthem of the Azerbaijan Republic was played after the Chair of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova had declared the meeting open.

Then, Mrs Gafarova announced that, it being pursuant to Paragraph 29 of Article 109 and Article 111 of the Constitution of Azerbaijan, the President of the Azerbaijan Republic Mr Ilham Aliyev had signed a decree ‘On Declaring the State of War’ and had submitted the said decree for consideration and approval of the Milli Majlis. Pursuant to Article 6.2 of the Law on the State of War of the Azerbaijan Republic, the Milli Majlis of the Azerbaijan Republic is to call a meeting within 48 hours of receipt of a presidential decree declaring the state of war regardless of whether there is a scheduled/unscheduled session in progress. The meeting being held today is such a meeting and there is only one item on its agenda.

Chair Gafarova told the gathering that the Armenian armed forces had violated the ceasefire rudely and committed another provocation against our country earlier this morning. Namely, they had opened fire from several directions on civilian communities and military positions of Azerbaijan using various weapons including heavy artillery. There had been deaths and injuries amongst civilian population and military personnel alike.

The memory of those killed by the enemy fire was honoured with a moment of silence at the suggestion of the Chair of the Milli Majlis.

Then, Mrs Gafarova said that this insidious Armenian assault had once again demonstrated the disrespect that the Armenian Fascism and the military-political leadership of the occupier-state have for the international law. Armenia had resorted to the provocation with a view to expanding its occupation policy and continuing on a course for further aggression. Chair Gafarova recalled that the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Azerbaijan Republic warned the international community of the brewing Armenian act of aggression and provocations in his speech at the 75^th session of the UN General Assembly a few days ago. What has happened today in the wake of the July 2020 provocation in Tovuz shows the Armenian Fascism the seamy side up with all its vile nature there to be seen by all.

Our nation is sure as one that the blood of our martyrs will be avenged – and it is being avenged already. The Azerbaijani Army is waging a successful counter-offensive all along the frontline dealing the enemy crushing blows. The enemy forefront has been punched through with the villages of Garakhanbeyli, Garvand, Kend Goradiz and Yukhari Abdulrahmanli of the Fizuli Province and Beyuk Marjanli and Nuzgar of the Jabrayil Province recaptured already. 

Sahiba Gafarova’s words were met with the MPs’ applause. She congratulated them on the news.

Next, Mrs Gafarova said that the international community had been alerted to the provocations of the Armenian army already and the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Mr Mustafa Şentop had called her to reaffirm the brotherly state’s support to Azerbaijan a few minutes ago. The MPs were told also that the Milli Majlis had sent letters about the current provocation by Armenia to the international parliamentary organisations and overseas national parliaments.

Chair Gafarova quoted President Ilham Aliyev as having said that the issue of Highland Garabagh was a national one and that resolving it was our historical mission. Armenia is an aggressor state; the Armenian occupation must be and will be put an end to. We are on the just course and our cause is right. We shall prevail. Garabagh is ours, Garabagh is Azerbaijan, Chair Gafarova said whilst continuing her speech.

Her speech was accompanied by applause.

The Chairman of the Milli Majlis Committee for Defence, Security and Counter-Corruption Ziyafet Askerov then read aloud the text of the presidential decree ‘On Declaring the State of War’.

The deliberations that followed saw the First Deputy Chair of the Milli Majlis Ali Huseynli, the Deputy Chairs Adil Aliyev and Fazayil Ibrahimli and the committee chairs Ziyafet Askerov, Samad Seyidov, Bakhtiyar Aliyev, Ganira Pashayeva, Zahid Oruj, Aydin Mirzazade, Erkin Gadirli, Fazil Mustafa, Sattar Mehbaliyev and Nizami Jafarov take the floor. They all called this day a historic one. The MPs said that they were certain – the Azerbaijani Army would soon free our lands from occupation and our citizens would return to their homes. They wished our Army success.

The Decree ‘On Declaring the State of War’ of the President of the Azerbaijan Republic was put on vote and approved and with that, the meeting of the Milli Majlis was concluded.

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis