Details added: first version posted on 14:02
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Dec. 8
Trend:
The opening ceremony of the International Conference "Strengthening Women’s Role in Building and Sustaining Peace: from Commitment to Results" was held in Hanoi, jointly organized by the UN and the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the embassy of Azerbaijan in Vietnam told Trend on Dec. 8.
The event was organized in both usual and virtual formats. Foreign ministers of various countries and their deputies, representatives of the UN and other international organizations, various NGOs, as well as experts attended the event.
While speaking at the event, Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan, distorting the information related to Azerbaijan's counter-offensive operations since September 27 in response to another act of Armenia’s aggression, provided the event participants with false information and made unfounded accusations against Azerbaijan and Turkey.
In response to the speech of the Armenian Foreign Minister, while delivering speech Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Vietnam, Anar Imanov, emphasized that it is unacceptable to accuse Azerbaijan and Turkey. Resolutely rejecting the accusations of the Armenian minister, the ambassador stressed that the occupation of 20 percent of the territory of Azerbaijan by Armenia is a fact known to the international community.
Imanov informed the event participants that in 1993 the UN Security Council adopted four resolutions calling for the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian troops from the territory of Azerbaijan.
He noted that as a result of Azerbaijan’s 44-day war, which began in response to the ongoing aggression of the Armenian Armed Forces, Azerbaijan fully restored its territorial integrity, thereby ensuring the implementation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
The ambassador emphasized that as a result of shelling of peaceful Azerbaijani cities and villages by the Armenian Armed Forces, a large number of residents, including women and children, were killed and injured.
He also informed the participants of the event about the Khojaly genocide committed by Armenia in 1992.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian Armed Forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.
In 2020, the military confrontation between the occupying Armenian forces and Azerbaijan has intensified. Back in July 2020, Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian Armed Forces.
Further, Armenian Armed Forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front.
Following over a month of military action to liberate its territories from Armenian occupation, Azerbaijan has pushed Armenia to sign the surrender document. A joint statement on the matter was made by Azerbaijani president, Armenia's PM and the president of Russia.
A complete ceasefire and a cessation of all hostilities in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict were introduced at 00:00 hours (Moscow time) on 10 November 2020.