BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 17
By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:
The January 20 tragedy of is one of the bloodiest acts of aggression against the Azerbaijani people, Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said at an event at ADA University on the 30th anniversary of the tragedy, Trend reports.
Mammadyarov noted that there were certain forces behind the events of January 20 in Baku.
"Soviet troops were brought under the pretext of protecting the Azerbaijani people. However, subsequently, USSR Defense Minister Dmitry Yazov said that the main task was to preserve the Soviet government, to punish non-communist national forces. Thus, they also wanted to teach a kind of lesson to national forces in other Soviet republics," Mammadyarov said.
The Azerbaijani foreign minister added that the January 20 tragedy led to the end of 70-year Soviet rule in Azerbaijan.
Mammadyarov also touched upon the Sumgayit events in early January 1990, noting that at that time Eduard Grigoryan personally committed the killing of six people in Sumgayit.