Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elnur Mammadov says Armenian military forces carried out unlawfully indiscriminate rocket and missile strikes on Azerbaijan during the hostilities; praises Russian role during the conlfict
Ansar M Bhatti in Baku
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elnur Mammadov has said people and govt of Pakistan supported whole-heartedly Azerbaijan during the 44 day Patriotic War in which Armenian forces were defeated thoroughly and Azerbaijani areas were liberated from the Armenian occupation.
The Dy Foreign Minister expressed these views during a talk with the Pakistani media people, who called on him on Thursday.
The Minister further said Pakistan was among the first countries to recognize Azerbaijan adding both countries share each other’s views on various regional as well international issues including the issue of Kashmir.
He said we have invited Pakistan as well to join us in the reconstruction and rebuilding of the newly liberated areas. Pakistan’s response towards our proposals has been forthcoming.
Mammadov said that during the first Karabakh war in the early 1990s Armenia had been widely using the practice of taking hostages. “The results of the investigations indicate that Azerbaijani prisoners are being tortured and are being held in heavy conditions.Mammadov said that Azerbaijan always complies with UN resolutions on prisoners, hostages, and missing persons.
He said Azerbaijan from the first day of restoration of its independence faced Armenia’s aggression. He noted that as a result of the Armenian aggression, the practice of taking Azerbaijani servicemen prisoners and hostages was widely used by Armenia.
“Despite the end of the conflict, 3,890 Azerbaijanis out of thousands of our compatriots taken prisoner and hostage by Armenia during the conflict are still registered as missing. During its military aggression against Azerbaijan, Armenia grossly violated many norms of international law, including the requirements of international humanitarian law. Despite the rules of war, civilians were captured or, in most cases, killed.
He said the Armenian military had placed thousands of mines in the liberated areas and it took us considerable time to clear all those mines.
To a question about the status of the Nakhchivan autonomous region, the Minister made it clear that that Nakchivan is very much part of Azerbaijan. Regarding Iran’s role during the Patriotic War, he said in the beginning Iran did not react however after a while it came in support of Azerbaijan.
He also talked about Khojaly massacre saying Armenia committed the Khojaly genocide in February 1992, killing hundreds of civilians, including 106 women and 63 children … 1,275 Azerbaijanis were taken hostage, 150 of them are still missing.”On the night of Feb 25-26, 1992, Armenian forces massacred ethnic Azerbaijanis in Khojaly, a small town in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.
During the two-hour Armenian offensive, 613 Azerbaijanis were killed and 487 others critically injured, according to Azerbaijani record. Eight families were completely wiped out, while 130 children lost one parent and 25 children lost both.
Talking about missiles attacks on Ganja, he said, Armenian military forces carried out unlawfully indiscriminate rocket and missile strikes on Azerbaijan during the hostilities from September to November 2020. During on-site investigations in Azerbaijan in November, Armenian forces used ballistic missiles, unguided artillery rockets, and large-caliber artillery projectiles that hit populated areas in apparent indiscriminate attacks.
To yet another question as to which countries have been supporting Armenia the Minister said the Armenian Diaspora was the major supporter of the government. There Diaspora are much more aggressive that those living in Armenia.
While replying a question about the Russian role during the conflict Mr. Elnur said during the second war the President of Russia repeatedly said that the areas belong to Azerbaijan and we think Russia rightfully chosen to be neutral. They also brokered the ceasefire and so far we are satisfied with the role played by Russian.
