Deputy FM says it is time to move forward and put animosity and hatred behind
Omer Zahid Malik Baku
After retrieving its occupied territories from the unlawful and illegal occupation of Armenia, the government of Azerbaijan has undertaken a massive reconstruction and rehabilitation work in the seven districts of the country that remained occupied by the Armenian forces for over three decades.
Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elnur Mammadov expressed these views during a media briefing organized for the media persons of Pakistan currently visiting the country on the First Anniversary of the 44-Day Patriotic War of Azerbaijan.
While welcoming the media persons, Elnur Mammadov said there were lessons for the aggressor country to learn from its defeat and it is in its best interest to put animosity and hatred behind and move forward for the peace, prosperity and development of the region.
Replying to the queries of the Pakistani media persons, Elnur Mammadov divulged into historical background of the conflict that according to him started in late 1980s and early 1990s when the Armenian forces, after the fall of the Soviet Union, occupied almost 20 per cent of Azerbaijan’s territory, seven districts including Nagorno-Karabakh.
“Generally, occupation does not necessarily mean ethnic cleansing but in case of the occupying Armenian forces, unfortunately ethnic cleansing and genocide accompanied the occupation and we saw the worst type of war crimes committed by the Armenian forces,” said the Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan.
The Azerbaijan government has raised the war crimes committed by the Armenia in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and is determined to expose their (Armenian forces’) crimes against humanity, he said.
About Pakistan’s role throughout the conflict, Elnur Mammadov said the Azerbaijan people, government and the leadership were thankful to the Pakistan government for unflinching diplomatic, political and moral support on Nagorno-Karabakh and other occupied areas.
He particularly mentioned Pakistan Parliament’s 2012 resolution recognizing Khojaly massacre of 1992 as an act of genocide.
We value our relations with Pakistan and stand by it on all international issues, he said. Azerbaijan deputy FM also raised questions on the role of the United Nations that failed to implement its resolutions.
The brave soldiers of the country under the leadership of the Supreme Commander and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev implemented the UN resolutions that called for immediate withdrawal of the Armenian forces from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan.
While giving a background of the 44-Day Patriotic War, Elnur Mammadov said over the last 27 or 28 years Armenia did not move much but for the last couple of years, its forces made some provocations that forced the Azerbaijan forces to launch a counter-response.
In July 2020, Armenia committed a military provocation on the state border with Azerbaijan.
As a result of artillery strike in the Tovuz region of Azerbaijan, 13 servicemen and civilians were killed, he said.
Then in August last year, an Armenian sabotage group tried to penetrate through the former line of contact in order to commit terrorist acts against Azerbaijani military servicemen and civilians, but was successfully neutralized by us.
In response, Azerbaijan launched a counterattack in its own territories against Armenia, using the right to self-defense enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter.
For 44 days, the Armenian armed forces intensively fired on the regions and cities along and also far from the frontline.
Armenia used ballistic missiles such as the Scud and Iskander-M, as well as banned white phosphorus and cluster munitions.
As a result of these Armenian war crimes, more than 100 civilians, including 11 children, were killed and more than 450 were injured. More than 12,000 civilian infrastructure, including individual houses, were destroyed or severely damaged in Azerbaijan.
Armenia has attracted mercenaries and foreign fighters from abroad and placed them against Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijan troops in response launched a counter offensive that lasted for 44 days.
The Patriotic War under the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev ended with a victory of the brave Azerbaijani Army, opened a new era in the history of the Republic of Azerbaijan, established international justice and changed the realities in the region.
The Pakistani media persons also visited the Embassy of Pakistan in Baku. Upon their arrival at the embassy they were received by Ambassador Bilal Hayee. The ambassador arranged a warm reception for the visiting media persons and briefed them about the embassy’s work and services for the Pakistani community in Azerbaijan.
