Ilham Aliyev: Azerbaijan continues efforts to achieve lasting peace

Armenia has taken a counterproductive position, but Azerbaijan continues efforts to achieve peace, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has addressed the participants of the 29th annual conference and the general meeting of the International Association of Prosecutors.

The head of state recalled that for many years, Azerbaijan endured occupation and military aggression from neighboring Armenia. 

"Throughout the occupation, our people were subjected to a policy of ethnic cleansing, and numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed against us. Finally, our country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty were fully restored in the aftermath of the Patriotic War of 2020 and the anti-terrorist operation of 2023," Ilham Aliyev said.

The Azerbaijani president stressed that nearly 4000 Azerbaijanis went missing during the occupation, they were tortured by the Armenians, then murdered and buried in mass graves.

"To this day, Armenia refuses to provide information on the fate of those missing persons and the locations of their mass graves," Ilham Aliyev said.

The head of state recalled that tangible and cultural sites, as well as places of worship belonging to the Azerbaijani people, 9 cities and hundreds of towns and villages were razed to the ground during the occupation.

"Armenia, as an occupying and aggressor country, is accountable for those acts of crime at the state level," Ilham Aliyev said.

He noted that instead of apologizing to the Azerbaijani people for all the crimes committed, Yerevan levels baseless accusations against Baku.

"Regardless, Azerbaijan continues its efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region today," Ilham Aliyev said.