The occupation of Lachin district was a great tragedy. I want to say again that the occupation of any district was a tragedy, but the occupation of Lachin district allowed for overland communication between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. The occupation of Lachin in May 1992, a few days after the occupation of Shusha, was a great loss for us. Armenia could already send weapons, ammunition and manpower along this corridor. Of course, this led to great losses. About a year later, Kalbajar district was occupied too.

Axar.az reports that the statement came from President Ilham Aliyev in his address to the nation.

"It is possible to say that all this laid the foundation for the subsequent occupation. I would also like to say again that when Lachin district was occupied, there was a struggle for power in Baku. Those who fought this struggle sold Lachin, Shusha, Kalbajar to the enemy, and, one might say, but the Azerbaijani statehood on the edge of a precipice. We remember all that history too well. The liberation of Lachin district today without a single shot being fired and without a single martyr is our great victory" - the President said.