Celebrations on 60-th anniversary of victory at Great Patriotic War will be held in Azerbaijan

The events will be organized and held  according to the Decree of the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, dated July 6, 2004  about   preparation and holding festive celebrations related to the 60-th anniversary of the victory at the  GPW, the executive secretary of the Republican Council of Veterans, the war and armed forces  veteran, Seyfaddin Shihly, told Trend.  

Among them is the event, organized by the State Oil Company (SOCAR), to take place on May 5, 2005. On this Day the GPW veterans and the SOCAR representatives will pay a visit to the burial place of Heydar Aliyev and the Cemetry of Martyrs, lay wreaths at their graves, the celebrations will go on in "Gulistan" Palace by the solemn reception.

According to Shihly, a big festive reception will be organized on May 9 in the "Gulistan" Palace on behalf of the country's leadership in honor of the participants and veterans of the GPW.  As the executive secretary of the Republican Veterans Society said, on the occasion of the remarkable day the country's leadership undertook a number of measures for enhancing attention and care to veterans. Thus, lately to veterans-invalids of the GPW of I and II degrees 80 "Oka"  passenger cars have been distributed free of charge. By the Decree of the Head of state the program for war veteran's widow care and attention is also being implemented, Shihly stressed..   57.882 War veterans will be presented with special medals, issued on the occasion of the Victory anniversary.

Azerbaijan has 12.019 GPW participants, 121 Azerbaijanis have been honoured the highest title - the Hero of the Soviet Union; 30 Azerbaijanis own all III degrees of the Order of "Glory".