BAKU, Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has laid the foundation of a railway line connecting the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan and the mainland.

According to a statement by the Azerbaijani presidency, Aliyev Sunday attended a ceremony held in the town of Horadiz in Fuzuli province as part of his visit to the regions liberated from the occupation of Armenia.

Aliyev was accompanied by first lady Mehriban Aliyeva and their daughter Leyla Aliyeva.

The 100-kilometer railway line will connect the town of Horadiz and Agbend town on the Armenian border.

Following the liberation of the occupied territories by the Azerbaijani army with 44 days of the conflict, a new transport line will be established between the mainland of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan through Armenia in accordance with the triple declaration between Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The first phase of the transportation line mentioned in the declaration began after the start of the Horadiz-Agbent railway line project.

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia had been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory, and seven adjacent regions.

When new clashes erupted in September, the Armenian army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and violated several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages from the nearly three-decade-long occupation.

Last November, Azerbaijan, and Armenia signed a Russian-brokered peace deal to end fighting.

The truce is seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia.