Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 8 / Trend, S. Agayeva /
The summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Cairo has condemned the Khojaly genocide and called on the international community to make every effort to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Elman Abdullayev told the media at a briefing today.
"The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has again supported Azerbaijan's just position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," he said.
The position of an authoritative international organization is important for Azerbaijan and Baku appreciates the OIC members' support, he stressed.
He added that the resolution adopted by the OIC summit urges member-countries to recognize the Khojaly genocide.
On Feb. 25-26 February, 1992, occupying Armenian forces together with the 366th infantry regiment of the Soviet Army stationed in Khankendi (earlier Stepanakert) fired on the Azerbaijani town of Khojali which had been under siege for months.
Within one night the town was razed to the ground. Some 613 people were killed including 63 children, 106 women and 70 old men.
A total of 1,000 civilians were injured during the genocide. Eight families were killed, 130 children lost one parent and 25 lost both.
Additionally, 1275 innocent residents were taken hostage; 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 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven 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 peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions.