On June 25, a solemn graduation ceremony was held for the graduating class of the Military Institute named after Heydar Aliyev under the National Defense University (NDU) and the Military Medical Faculty, the Ministry of Defense told AZERTAC.

The ceremony was attended by the leadership of the Ministry of Defense, personnel of military educational institutions, faculty members, graduates, parents, as well as representatives of the public and the media.

Initially, the monument to the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev, as well as the Memorial Complex dedicated to the Institute’s servicemen who were martyred during the Patriotic War, was visited. Flowers were laid at the memorials, and their memory was honored with deep respect and reverence.

Rector of the Military Institute named after Heydar Aliyev, Major General Umidvar Guliyev**,** reported to Minister of Defense Colonel General Zakir Hasanov on the commencement of the ceremony, after which the Institute’s Battle Flag was solemnly brought onto the parade ground.

The memory of National Leader Heydar Aliyev and the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the Motherland was commemorated with a minute of silence. The National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan, accompanied by a military orchestra, was performed.

In his address at the graduation ceremony, the Minister of Defense congratulated the participants on the occasion of the 108th anniversary of the establishment of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Minister wished the graduates success in their honorable service to the Motherland and in the continued strengthening of the Azerbaijan Army.

The Minister highlighted the comprehensive reforms being implemented under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Ilham Aliyev, emphasizing their significant role in enhancing the professional capacity of personnel in the Azerbaijan Army.

Particular emphasis was placed on the heroism demonstrated by Azerbaijani servicemen during the Patriotic War and other successful military operations, as well as on the courage and valor displayed by graduates of the Military Institute.

According to the graduation ceremony program, the Minister of Defense presented diplomas and valuable gifts to graduates who had completed their studies at the military educational institutions with distinction.

Expressing their gratitude for the attention and support extended to them, the new officers conveyed their appreciation to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the leadership of the Ministry of Defense, pledging to serve their Motherland, state, and people with honor, dedication, and professionalism.

Following the affixing of a commemorative graduation emblem to the symbolic stump, a ceremonial handover and acceptance of the Battle Flag of the Military Institute named after Heydar Aliyev took place.

The event concluded with the cadets performing the Institute’s march to the accompaniment of a military orchestra and solemnly parading in front of the grandstand.