Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 19 / Trend /
The co-chairmen of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus Bill Shuster and Dan Boren made a statement on the 20th anniversary of Khojaly tragedy, Director General of the Azerbaijani-American Council (AAC) Javid Huseynov told Trend.
The detailed information about the events in Khojaly was presented in the statement. The information spread by the world media on the issue was brought to their colleagues' attention. The statement stressed that the 20th anniversary of the tragedy reminds about the importance of resolving the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as well as the unacceptability of preserving the status quo.
The statement also stressed that Azerbaijan is the important strategic partner of the United States.
The Congressmen expressed their condolences to Azerbaijan in connection with the events in Khojaly, urging their colleagues to revere memory of Khojaly Genocide victims.
The Armenian military forces committed genocide in Khojaly on Feb.26, 1992. More than 600 people were killed, including 63 children, 106 women and 70 old men. Some 487 civilians were disabled during the genocide. In addition, 1,275 peaceful residents were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 remains unknown.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.