Kuwait, Kuwait City, Feb. 23 / Trend special correspondent, S. Agayeva /
Kuwait commemorated the victims of the Khojali tragedy on the eve the genocide's eighteenth anniversary.
The event, organized by the Azerbaijani Embassy in Kuwait, was held in the prestigious Sheraton Hotel in Kuwait City.
Armenian troops committed genocide using military hardware and personnel of the 366th infantry regiment of the former USSR in Khojali on Feb. 26, 1992, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Kuwait Shahin Abdullayev said at the opening of the event. As a result of massed fire from artillery piece, heavy military equipment, the whole city was in flames, he reminded.
Abdullayev spoke about the tragedy which resulted in the deaths of 600 people. Hundreds of others went missing. Azerbaijan hopes that the international community will recognize these atrocities as a genocide against the Azerbaijani people, Abdullayev said.
He also stressed the important role that commemorative events play in delivering objective, unbiased information about Khojaly to the world.
He also emphasized that today the Azerbaijani government is doing its utmost to resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. Azerbaijan, as a sovereign state, is ready to use all routes of diplomacy to settle this problem, Abdullayev said. He added that Azerbaijan hopes big powers wielding influence in the region will resolve these conflicts according to international law.
A film about the Armenian terrorism committed over many years against the Azerbaijani people was screened at the event. The film was prepared by the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons.
Azerbaijan should inform the world on all the falsity of Armenian claims, to tell the world about the barbarism committed in Karabakh, Secretary of State Commission on POWs, Hostages and Missing Persons, Shahin Sayilov said at the commemoration evening.
"The film is not easy to watch, because what you see on the screen is the result of Armenian terror. It is prepared on the basis of archival materials of the Azerbaijani Ministry of National Security. Demonstrating you this movie, we don't try to create an atmosphere of hate against Armenians, but just want you to know all the truth and realize what Azerbaijani people suffered," Sayilov said.
The event was attended by the representatives of the Azerbaijani diaspora, and ambassadors and representatives of foreign diplomatic missions accredited in Kuwait.
Photos, brochures and a documentary film describing the bloody events that took place on Feb. 26, 1992 were also distributed.
Armenian troops committed genocide in Khojali on Feb. 26, 1992. The tragedy began early morning. Within hours, over 613 unarmed Azerbaijani citizens were killed. Among them were 106 women and 83 children. About 1,000 people were disabled by shots; 8 families were fully destroyed. A total of 25 children lost both of their parents and 130 children lost one of them. About 1,275 people were taken prisoner and around 150 people went missing. Eight families were completely killed.