Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 23 / Trend , J.Babayeva/
The Georgian parliament may discuss the Khojali tragedy, Georgian Parliamentary Vice Speaker Fridon Todua told journalists in Baku on Feb. 23.
On the night of Feb. 25, 1992, Armenian separatists seized the Khojali settlement in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Within hours, over 600 unarmed Azerbaijani citizens were killed. Among them were 106 women and 83 children. The massacre continued for days, while the Armenian separatists killed their hostages and cut the heads off of Azerbaijani military personnel. A total of 487 people were left disabled and 1,275 people were taken prisoner. The fate of 150 people remains unknown.
"It would have been better if this event had not taken place. But it did and we should solve the problem through joint efforts," Todua said.
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.
The Georgian parliamentary delegation arrived in Baku on Feb. 23 upon the invitation of the Azerbaijani parliament. Georgian-Azerbaijani interparliamentary group head Todua leads the delegation.
The Georgian deputation will meet Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Parliamentary Speaker Ogtay Asadov during the visit. They will also hold meetings with Azerbaijani parliamentary committees and executive officials.
The Georgian delegation comprises Vice Speaker Paata Davitaya, Otar Toidze, Dilar Khabuliani, David Bezhuashvili, Ramin Bayramov and Kakhaber Okriashvili.
The visit will focus on the public and political situation in Georgia and bilateral cooperation issues.
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