On May 28, 1918, the Azerbaijan People's Republic (APR) was created - the first secular democratic state in the Muslim East. On this day, at a meeting of the National Council of Azerbaijan, the Declaration of Independence was adopted, establishing equal rights for all citizens. 

23 months after its creation, the APR ceased to exist as a result of the Bolshevik occupation. In April 1920, Soviet power was established in Azerbaijan.

After the collapse of the USSR in December 1991, Azerbaijan declared itself the legal successor of the APR, and the country's independence was restored. 

Many heads of state today congratulated Azerbaijan. Thus, Turkish President Recep Erdogan said: “Turkey shares the just pride and joy of brotherly Azerbaijan, with which we are together in sorrow and joy, on the first Independence Day after the successful restoration of territorial integrity in September 2023. We are always proud of the progress Azerbaijan has made both in the region and in its immediate geography, and are very pleased with the shared desire to further strengthen our high-level strategic relationship in the spirit of “one nation, two states.”

President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky, in turn, expressed his respect to the friendly country: “Today Azerbaijan is confidently walking along the path of development, strengthening its position in the global arena and has returned its internationally recognized territories. “I highly appreciate our personal constructive dialogue, which contributes to strengthening the Ukrainian-Azerbaijani partnership in all areas of mutual interest.”