No:008/20, Head of the Press Service Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Leyla Abdullayeva answers the question of the media
Question: The Armenian Foreign Ministry commented on the reaction of Azerbaijan to the January events of 1990. I would like to know your position on this issue.
Answer: First of all, I would like to note that commemorative events in honor of the 30th anniversary of the events of January 20, 1990, when the heroic sons and daughters of the Azerbaijani people, having sacrificed their lives for the state independence of our country, wrote their names in blood in the glorious pages of the contemporary history of Azerbaijan, were carried out by our diplomatic missions in more than 60 countries of the world. We would like to highlight the support provided to us by the international community, including the diplomatic corps in our country.
The massacre committed by Soviet troops against the civilian population on the night of January 19 to January 20, 1990, is a crime against humanity, and the former Soviet leadership is responsible for this crime. The events of January 1990 could not break the desire of the Azerbaijani people for independence, and our country regained its independence. Today, the independence and sovereignty of Azerbaijan is unambiguously recognized and supported by the entire international community.
As for the provocative propaganda conducted by Armenia in connection with the January events of 1990, the Armenian side pursues the goal of concealing the genocide carried out throughout history against the civilian population of Azerbaijan, the policy of ethnic cleansing, as well as the brutal murder of 613 civilians in Khojaly town in one night. The Armenian Foreign Ministry, instead of making unfounded accusations against Azerbaijan, should pay attention to the history of Armenia, recognize the ethnic cleansing policy implemented by Armenia, which was personally approved by the former president of this country, a gross violation of the fundamental rights of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis, as well as the aggressive policy that it has been pursuing for several years, which is strongly condemned by the international community.