An international online scientific conference on "Karabakh Victory - a glorious page in the history of Azerbaijani statehood" dedicated to the 30th anniversary of October 18 - the Day of Restoration of State Independence - has started today at Baku State University (BSU).

According to Tehsil.biz, the conference first commemorated the memory of our martyrs who died for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan with a minute of silence.

The plenary session of the conference was held today. Alish Agamirzayev, Vice-Rector for Social Affairs, Student Affairs and Public Relations of BSU, made an introductory speech at the meeting and assessed the restoration of state independence of our people in the 1990s as an important historical event. Agamirzayev noted that as a result of the historical situation in 1991, the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan adopted a declaration of independence on August 30, and the "Constitutional Act on the state independence of Azerbaijan" was adopted on October 18 at a session of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Our people regained its independence after 70 years. History has shown time and again that maintaining independence is far more difficult than gaining it. Twice in a century, Azerbaijan has gained the opportunity to gain independence and create its own sovereign state. Unfortunately, the first opportunity was lost due to external interference, internal strife and lack of international guarantees. The second historical opportunity appeared 70 years later. Our people have achieved the freedom they have longed for for many years.

In the first years of independence, our people faced the threat of losing it again, 20 percent of the territory of Azerbaijan was occupied by Armenian invaders. On the one hand, the Karabakh war, which escalated as a result of the aggression of the Armenian armed forces, on the other hand, political conflicts within the country, the separatist movement threatened to suffocate in the cradle of independence. However, National Leader Heydar Aliyev, who returned to political leadership in Azerbaijan for the second time in 1993 at the insistence of the people, made the independence of our country eternal and irreversible.

It was the national leader's rich political experience, high managerial skills and inexhaustible love for the motherland that endangered the state independence of Azerbaijan. He stressed the services of national leader Heydar Aliyev in strengthening independence and the process of nation-building, noting that under the leadership of this great figure, Azerbaijan has made historic achievements. Emphasizing that the brilliant victory in the Great Patriotic War was the result of the country's successful development, he noted that this great victory of Azerbaijan was achieved due to the wise decisions of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the strength of our brave Army and the unshakable solidarity of our people.

Then Anar Isgandarov, Member of Milli Majlis, Head of the Department of History of BSU, Ibrahim Zeynalov, Professor of History, Alamdar Bayramov, Associate Professor of Library and Information Faculty, Gabil Aliyev, Professor of History, Sultan Zahidov, Teacher of International Relations and Economics made reports.

The conference will continue its work at the section meetings on October 19-20.