At a meeting in Baku with family members of servicemen who participated and died in the war Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev recalled the East Zangezur economic zone created by his order, stating that “East Zangezur is their historical land, West Zangezur as well.”

“It is now being said in Armenia that Ilham Aliyev is making territorial claims. If there is East Zangazur, then there is also West Zangazur. Yes, West Zangazur is our ancestral land. I said that we have to go back there. I said this 10 years ago. All my speeches are available in the media. I said that it is the land of our ancestors, that we must return there, we will return and we are already returning there. No one can stop us. We will definitely return because there is no other way. When all communications are opened, we, the people of Azerbaijan will return to their ancestral land, of course. The 10 November Trilateral Declaration states: all refugees must return to their homeland. Our native land is Zangezur, our native land is Goycha (Sevan) district, Iravan (Yerevan). We will definitely return there,” Aliyev said.