The State Committee for Refugees and IDPs held a commemorative event on the 28th anniversary of the occupation of Khankendi by Armenian armed forces.
The chairman, deputy chairmen of the State Committee, Karabakh war veterans, intelligentsia orginally from Khankendi and other guests attended the event.
Our martyrs who died for the freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan were commemorated with a minute of silence.
Speaking about the history of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Chairman of the State Committee Rovshan Rzayev reminded that Armenians were relocated to these territories approximately two hundred years ago, they treated indigenous people of Azerbaijan belligerently with the support of their protectors, always created a confrontation on the national ground and occasionally raised territorial claims. It was noted that attempts of Armenian nationalists to separate Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijan and join it to Armenia in the 60-70s of the last century were collapsed as a result of the determination of the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev, and those with the same intentions were immediately punished in accordance with the laws of that time. Armenian separatism in Nagorno-Karabakh arose right after the great person of our nation was expelled from the political power. Ethnic cleansing against the people of Khankendi, the central city of the region, actually started in 1989. The Azerbaijanis living and working here were persecuted and forced to leave their homes. From December 26 to December 28 of 1991, ethnic cleansing and occupation were carried out with special cruelty, since that time Khankendi was completely occupied by separatists and armed forces came from Armenia. IDPs from Khankendi struggled a lot as all our compatriots who were displaced from their historical lands in Nagorno-Karabakh. At present, they are settled in 38 cities and regions of our republic and covered by the attention and care of the Azerbaijani government.
The President Ilham Aliyev identified the solution of social problems and improvement of housing and living conditions of IDPs as a priority. Provision of IDPs with apartments is carried out in stages. IDPs living under the most severe conditions and in damaged buildings are provided with apartments in the first place according to the instruction of the First Vice President Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva. The head of our state said that important measures will be taken in this field in the new year as well.
Later, heads of “Karabakh War Disabled, Veterans and Families of Martyrs” Public Unions in the occupied territories, intelligentsia and former warriors from Khankendi also made speeches. At the event, great confidence was expressed that Khankendi and other occupied territories will soon be liberated and IDPs will be able to return to their homeland. The commemorative event continued with speeches. At the end, a film dedicated to Khankendi was shown.
