November 8: The victory that changed geopolitics

Author: writer and political strategist, honorary ambassador of the World Jewish Agency "Sokhnut" in Azerbaijan Roman Gurevich

Source: The Jerusalem Post

"Dear Shusha, you are free! Dear Shusha, we have returned!" declared Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on that historic day. Those words echoed the pain of nearly three decades of occupation, the joy of coming home, and the promise of a new life.

On Victory Day, the streets of Baku filled with jubilant crowds. Strangers embraced one another. Men did not hide their tears. The flags of Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Israel waved above the celebrating crowds.

Azerbaijan was celebrating victory in the 44-day Patriotic War and the liberation of Shusha — a city that holds a special place in the country's history and culture.

Six years have passed. That victory changed not only the fate of Azerbaijan, but also the geopolitical balance in the South Caucasus.

Along with the return of its lands, the Azerbaijani people regained confidence in their own strength and restored their national dignity. And the Kharibulbul — the flower that became a symbol of remembrance for the fallen, a symbol of victory and return — blooms once again on its native soil.

Memory and the return home

Behind the words "territorial integrity" and "occupation" stand the fates of hundreds of thousands of people. Families forced to leave their homes in the early 1990s lived for decades in the hope of returning. Children grew up far from the lands of their ancestors, knowing their native cities only from photographs and their parents' stories.

Today, houses, schools, and roads are being built there once again. More than 40,000 people have already returned to their native land.

Azerbaijani soldiers fought and died to make this possible. November 8 is not only a day of national pride, but also a day of remembrance for those who paid for the victory with their lives. Winning this victory in the name of justice was far from easy.

A war for justice

After restoring its independence in 1991, Azerbaijan faced an extremely difficult domestic and international situation. In 1993, the Azerbaijani people called on Heydar Aliyev to return to the leadership of the country. Aliyev managed to stabilize the state and establish relations with various countries. In May 1994, he secured an agreement on a ceasefire and the end of military operations.

Nevertheless, for nearly three decades Azerbaijan continued its struggle to restore its territorial integrity. Four UN Security Council resolutions called for the withdrawal of the occupying forces. Negotiations dragged on for decades, but the resolutions remained merely words on paper.

In 2020, the Azerbaijani army liberated most of the occupied territories on its own, and in September 2023 Azerbaijan fully restored control over its entire territory. This victory changed the military and political balance in the South Caucasus, opening new prospects for transport cooperation, economic integration, and regional security.

Azerbaijan possesses significant energy resources. Its strategic currency reserves have reached $89.4 billion, and nominal GDP grew from $42.6 billion in 2020 to $75.9 billion in 2025. These figures reflect a combination of economic factors, including conditions on world oil and gas markets, but the historic victory also played an enormous role in the country's economic prosperity.

Today Azerbaijan supplies natural gas to Europe and is actively involved in the development of the Middle Corridor, linking European markets with Central Asia and China. Azerbaijan's influence and authority on the international stage continue to grow — in the United States, in the Muslim world, in Europe, and in Asia.

Washington, too, has recognized Azerbaijan's new role on the world stage.

Washington: Azerbaijan's new role

President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met at the White House on August 8, 2025. Their joint declaration and the initialed peace agreement opened the way to ending decades of confrontation. The next step is the official signing of the agreement and the transformation of diplomatic accords into a lasting peace.

In February 2026, Aliyev and U.S. Vice President JD Vance signed a Charter on Strategic Partnership in Baku. Behind the diplomatic language lie concrete interests: energy, security, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, the Middle Corridor, and the TRIPP project, designed to connect Azerbaijan's mainland with Nakhchivan.

For Washington, partnership with Baku provides additional opportunities to strengthen ties with Central Asia and expand American influence in the South Caucasus.

Vance's remark about Baku's ability to maintain good relations simultaneously with both Turkey and Israel — two states in deep conflict — deserves particular attention. This is yet another testament to Azerbaijan's growing influence.

Influence that worries the neighbors

Having strengthened its position on the international stage, Azerbaijan now pursues an independent policy even in relations with its closest partners and neighbors.

Even with fraternal Turkey, which played a key role in strengthening Azerbaijan's security, interests do not always coincide. Ankara seeks to expand its own regional influence. Baku, for its part, insists that any regional arrangements must first and foremost take into account Azerbaijan's sovereign interests.

Tehran is concerned about the strengthening of Azerbaijani-Israeli cooperation, changes in the region's transport logistics, and Baku's growing influence.

One reality must now be accepted: after its victory, Azerbaijan has become a strong, independent player in regional affairs, whose interests can no longer be ignored. At the same time, Baku strives for the stability that will allow it to consolidate and build upon its achievements. And Baku chooses its own friends. Israel is among them.

Israel: a solid partnership and an unbreakable friendship

Israelis do not need to be told the price of national security, historical memory, or a nation's right to self-defense.

Azerbaijan is a secular state with a Muslim-majority population. In this country, Jews and Israel have always been treated with warmth and respect. The strongest foundation of Azerbaijani-Israeli relations is the centuries-old friendship between our peoples.

In addition, Azerbaijani oil plays an important role in Israel's energy supply. Israeli defense technologies have helped strengthen Azerbaijan's armed forces. Cooperation continues to develop in the fields of security, high technology, and agriculture. Azerbaijan's growing regional authority opens new economic and technological opportunities for Israel.

A strong Azerbaijan is a vital strategic interest for Israel

We reciprocate this friendship. And the Israeli flags that waved on the streets of Baku in the fall of 2020 became a symbol of the solid partnership and unbreakable friendship between our peoples and our countries. With friends like these, we can look to the future with confidence.

The future begins today

Six years ago, Azerbaijan changed the military and political reality of the South Caucasus. Today it seeks to turn the results of that historic transformation into the foundation of a lasting peace and a new international standing.

A long road leads from the liberation of Shusha to the meetings in Washington. This is the historic path of a nation that has risen to the heights of world politics and influence, treating its friends and partners with dignity, deep respect, and understanding, while firmly defending its own interests.

As the Azerbaijani poet, translator, and documentary filmmaker Alexander Grich said after the victory: "Let everyone know: from now on the fate of Azerbaijan will not be decided in Moscow. Not in Brussels. Not in Ankara. And not in Washington. The future of a strong, independent Azerbaijan will from now on be decided in Baku — and only in Baku!"

So be it! Happy Victory Day, Azerbaijan! Strength, might, and prosperity to you, dear friends!