On November 8, a military parade dedicated to the third anniversary of the Victory in the Second Karabakh War was held in the city of Khankendi [Stepanakert in Armenian]. Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, attended the parade.

Ilham Aliyev said, "Twenty years ago, when I started my work as President, I told my dear people that we should be ready to liberate our lands by means of war. At that time, there were still some hopes for peace talks. However, over the years, these hopes faded away. Armenia did not want to leave our lands of its own accord. The mediators who were involved in resolving the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict actually tried to freeze the situation. They believed that the people of Azerbaijan would come to terms with this situation. However, the people of Azerbaijan were never going to accept this situation. I have stated many times from different platforms that we will not accept this situation, we will not allow for a second Armenian state to be created on Azerbaijani lands, and if the negotiations end without results, we will use force to liberate our native lands from the invaders on the battlefield based on international law. If the Armenian leadership and certain foreign forces standing behind it back then and today had listened to my words, there would have been no need for the Second Karabakh War. I have repeatedly told the leadership of Armenia that if you do not vacate our lands, you will face us on the battlefield. Whoever stands behind you cannot turn us away from our just cause. The 44-day Patriotic War showed this once again."

"Over the course of 44 days, much pressure was put on Azerbaijan. Threats were coming from different places and capitals. However, no one could divert us from the right path. Strong political resolve made it possible to conduct an independent foreign policy, pursue a domestic policy, and not allow anyone to interfere in our own affairs. However, there have been many such attempts in history. We have protected our state, national dignity, way of life, and traditions so that no one can interfere in our affairs," he added.

Aliyev emphasized, "No force can threaten us. We are ready to fight on any level, we have shown this on the political and, if necessary, on the military front. In the 21st century, no army has shown as much professionalism and dedication as ours. No nation has loved its native land as much as ours and was ready to die for it. We all know this well, so let the world know it, too."

The Azerbaijani leader concluded, "We don't need a new war. We have achieved what we wanted, we have restored international law, we have restored historical justice, we have restored our national dignity, and we have shown the enemy where it belongs."

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan continues to invest substantial financial resources in the country's defense capabilities. The military budget of the Caucasian republic in 2024 will amount to a record 3.5 billion US dollars. 

On November 7, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed decrees on an average 20 percent increase in the monthly salaries of active military service members of the Ministry of Defense, the General Department of Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the State Border Service from January 1, 2024.

The President also signed a decree on increasing the monthly salaries of officers, ensigns, and overtime military service members of the Special Forces of the Ministry of Defense by an average of 2.1 times from January 1, 2024.