Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has marked the country’s May 28 Independence Day with a ceremony in Lachin, a city regained from Armenian occupation during the 2020 Second Karabakh War. 

In his speech on Wednesday, Aliyev praised the strong political and moral support shown by Türkiye and Pakistan during the conflict, calling it a defining element of Azerbaijan’s wartime resilience and postwar unity.

“During the 44-day Second Karabakh War, Türkiye and Pakistan supported us. Their support inspired us and gave us additional strength,” Aliyev said. “We are always grateful to the leaders of brotherly countries and brotherly peoples for this great political and moral support.”

Trilateral ties grow stronger after war

Aliyev emphasised that the alliance among the three nations has only deepened in the years since the war. 

“The brotherhood of the three fraternal countries is growing stronger every year. We stand together in good and bad times,” he said, framing the trilateral partnership as a source of stability and cooperation in the region.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also attended the ceremony and echoed the sentiment, saying the victory in Karabakh had paved the way for a stronger and more prosperous Azerbaijan. 

“The torch of independence lit on that day is illuminating the path of a much stronger Azerbaijan,” Erdogan said, adding that the region is now ready to write a “story of success, peace, and development.”

The city of Lachin, long under Armenian occupation until it was retaken in 2020, served as a powerful symbol for the day’s events — not only as a reclaimed homeland but as the stage for a growing political alliance among three regional powers.