Shusha is our ancient city. No matter how hard the Armenian propaganda, fake scientists, fraudulent politicians and international circles may try, it is all in vain. There is history. Panahali Khan laid the foundation of Shusha, built Shusha. We freed Shusha from captivity and returned it to our people, to our state.

Axar.az reports that President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said as lit a Novruz bonfire on the Jidir plain, Shusha, with First Vice President of Azerbaijan, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, and their daughter Leyla Aliyeva

Shusha is an ancient Azerbaijani city, and this has always been the case. Hard as the hated enemy tried in the last 28 years, it failed to change the Azerbaijani spirit and appearance of Shusha. True, houses have been knocked down, historical sites have been demolished, mosques have been demolished, several ugly buildings have been built. As a matter of fact, there was no construction here.

"There were about 2,000 Armenians living in the Khrushchev-era apartment blocks left over from the Soviet era, and most of whom were servicemen and their families. If it was an Armenian city, why didn't Armenians come and live here? Because Armenians have no history here. If it is an Armenian city, why did they bring it to such a deplorable state? Why did they plunder Shusha? Why didn’t they restore it in 28 years? Where are their benefactors? They were saying that philanthropists did this and that, that they gave money here and there. They organized marathons every year, raising tens of millions of dollars. It is now clear that the money disappeared in the pockets of the former leadership. I have visited the liberated lands many times, but the abject poverty I see here is probably nonexistent elsewhere in the world. But what did they do after all? It was all a lie, a lie, just as they falsified history and reality. Their networks operate in various capitals around the world, transmitting false information. Then there is a discussion around this false information and they write what is completely wide of the mark," said Azerbaijani President.