By Azernews

By Vafa Ismayilova

Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmat Hajiyev has has hailed President Ilham Aliyev for ensuring Azerbaijan's victory in the 2020 Nagorno-Karbakh war. Hajiyev made the remarks in his Twitter account on December 24 that marks Ilham Aliyev's 59th birthday.

"Today is the birthday of victorious Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev. As the builder of a strong Azerbaijani state, President Ilham Aliyev ended our people's longing for Karabakh and having ensured our Victory in the [44-day Karabakh] war, he became the author of the heroic leader chronicle of our history," Hajiyev wrote.

A Russia-brokered ceasefire deal that Azerbaijan and Armenia signed on November 10, 2020 brought an end to the 44-day war between the two countries. The Azerbaijani army declared a victory against the Armenian troops. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it had occupied.

The major success that Azerbaijan achieved under Aliyev's leadership since 2003 was an end to the 30-year-old conflict with Armenia as a result of which all occupied territories were liberated. Ilham Aliyev's presidency has been marked with Azerbaijan's strengthened position politically and economically on international and local levels. The country has also strengthened its international influence.