"Nakhchivan is an ancient Azerbaijani land. Historical monuments, religious monuments, architectural monuments, all place names in Nakhchivan belong to the people of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani people have lived and worked in this beautiful edge", Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said during his visit to Nakhijevan, APA reports.
APA quotes Aliyev as saying, "No coincidence that 90 years ago it was given the status of Nakhchivan autonomy within Azerbaijan. This was a great historical event". Aliyev added that Zangezur, "a native Azerbaijani land, was separated from Azerbaijan by Armenia. It was a great injustice, as Zangezur is a historical, native Azerbaijani land". "Injustice and malevolence against the Azerbaijani people played a major role in the decision. Simultaneously, by this decision Azerbaijan was geographically divided into two parts. At the same, the great Turkic world was also divided in two. This is injustice, an open wound. But I am absolutely convinced that the time will come and we, Azerbaijanis, will return to our historical land".
The Azeri president also set his claims to Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. "In 1918, by the decree of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, Erevan, our historical land, was given to Armenia. Just as a few years later, the Bolshevik Soviet government gave Armenians Zangezur. Just as at the end of last century Karabakh found itself under occupation. But I am absolutely convinced that strong and growing Azerbaijan will allow us to restore our territorial integrity and return to all our historical lands in the future."