Azerbaijan’s Ambassador, Khazar Farhadov, noted that the Republic of Azerbaijan celebrates Victory Day on November 8 every year. He also highlighted the historical context, explaining that three years ago, Azerbaijan successfully liberated its territories from Armenian occupation, thereby restoring its territorial integrity. He expressed deep respect and gratitude to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
Ambassador Farhadov emphasized that Armenia had occupied 20% of Azerbaijani territories for nearly three decades and committed war crimes in those areas. Notably, the Khojaly Genocide of 1992 resulted in the tragic loss of 613 innocent civilians, including 106 women and 63 children. Ethnic cleansing was carried out against the Azerbaijani population in the occupied territories, forcing them to leave their homes. During this occupation, Azerbaijani cities and villages were razed to the ground, cultural and religious monuments were destroyed, and mosques were desecrated and looted, with some even turned into pigsties. Hundreds of thousands of mines and booby traps were laid across Azerbaijani territory.
Ambassador Farhadov highlighted that despite these challenges, Azerbaijan had never intentionally targeted civilians or civilian infrastructure during the Patriotic War and local anti-terrorism measures. Even after the war, Armenia continued to engage in military provocations, resulting in civilian and military casualties in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan. In response, the Azerbaijani Army launched local anti-terrorist measures to uphold the provisions of the Joint Trilateral Statement signed on November 10, 2020. These measures aimed to prevent large-scale provocations in the Karabakh economic region of Azerbaijan, disarm and withdraw Armenian armed forces from Azerbaijani territories, neutralize their military infrastructure, ensure the safety of civilians returning to the liberated areas, protect civilian workers involved in reconstruction, and restore the constitutional order of Azerbaijan.
Furthermore, Ambassador Farhadov highlighted that Azerbaijan had offered a peace agreement to Armenia shortly after the war, allowing for the return of 300,000 Azerbaijanis to their historical homeland in present-day Armenia. Azerbaijan also established a special reintegration portal for Armenian residents living in the Karabakh economic region of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Ambassador Farhadov expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s unwavering moral and diplomatic support during the occupation and the 44 days of the Patriotic War. He noted that the Pakistani flag is proudly displayed alongside Azerbaijani and Turkish flags in Azerbaijan as a symbol of respect and gratitude to the Pakistani people for their continuous support.
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