Azerbaijan, Baku, March 31 / Trend /
Azerbaijani Embassy in Serbia held a commemoration ceremony in connection with March 31 - Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis, the embassy told Trend.
Embassy officials, members of the Azerbaijani cultural center in Belgrade and the Serbian-Azerbaijani trade-economic chamber, members of the Azerbaijani community of Serbia, Azerbaijani students studying in this country, representatives of the Serbian public, the media and the Muslim community of Belgrade attended the event.
Counselor of the Embassy Habil Kocharli told participants of the event about the history of the genocide committed by Armenians against the Azerbaijani people. He highlighted the atrocities of the Armenians against Azerbaijanis in 1905-1907 in Baku, Shusha, Zangezur, Erivan, Nakhchivan, Ordubad, Javanshir and Gazahs regions, the murder of thousands of Azerbaijanis with cruelty in March-April 1918 in Baku, Shamakhi, Guba, Mugan and the Karabakh regions.
He also noted that the policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide carried out by Armenian nationalists against the Azerbaijani people, continues today, spoke about the Khojaly tragedy, the occupation of regions of Azerbaijan and its grave consequences, the destruction of Azerbaijani historical monuments in the occupied territories.
Participants of the event noted great historical importance of a decree signed by national leader of Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev on March 26, 1998 in the fact that March 31 is celebrated as the Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis. This decree also played an important role in the national consciousness and self-knowledge.
At the end of the event, participants observed a minute's silence in memory of victims of the genocide.
Press release prepared by the Embassy in connection with the Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis, was sent to state and governmental bodies of Serbia, members of parliament, NGOs, embassies and representative offices of international organizations in Serbia.