27 September 2023 17:49

On 27 September, a commemorative event and blood donation campaign dedicated to 27 September – Remembrance Day were held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The leadership and employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including family members of the Martyrs of the 44-day Patriotic War, participated in the commemorative event.

Within the framework of the event, first, the dear memory of our Martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan was commemorated with a minute of silence.

Speaking at the commemorative event, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov stated that as a result of the 44-day Patriotic War, one of the most glorious pages of our modern history, nearly 30 years of military occupation by Armenia was ended, and alongside our territorial integrity, historical justice and international law were restored. It was stated that this heroic chronicle of the Azerbaijani Army, led by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Victorious Commander-in-Chief, has been engraved in our history in golden letters.

It was stated that from the day our lands fell under occupation, our country, which never accepted this fact, constantly worked to find a peaceful solution to the issue, but Armenia engaged in imitation of negotiations and continued its military-political provocations.

It was noted that during the 44-day Patriotic War, which began precisely in response to Armenia’s next provocation, Armenia continued its provocations, and repeatedly committed attacks and war crimes against the civilian population in order to undermine the unity and solidarity of our people.

Minister Jeyhun Bayramov stated that despite the end of the war and the conflict, our country proposed peace to Armenia three years ago and made efforts to advance the peace process, while Armenia, in return, once again repeated the practice of nearly 30 years of occupation, and although it stated in words that it recognized our territorial integrity, in practice it continued provocations and the mine threat to the contrary. In this regard, it was stated that our country carried out local anti-terror measures to prevent Armenia’s further provocations, that as a result of these measures, the presence of illegal Armenian armed forces, which were remnants of 30 years of occupation in our territories, was ended, and that the scale of the terrible militarization in our territories became clear to everyone.

It was emphasized that our country will continue its efforts decisively towards advancing the normalization and peace agenda hereafter as well, and that our vision for the future is based on peace.

It was stated that we owe the realities of today’s post-conflict period and the liberation of our lands to our Martyrs, and in this regard, their dear memory will always live in our hearts.

Afterwards, the historical-documentary film “WE,” dedicated to the 44-day Patriotic War and produced jointly by Baku Media Center and the “Azerbaijanfilm” film studio named after Jafar Jabbarli with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, was screened.

After the commemorative event, a blood donation campaign was held with the joint organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Central Blood Bank of the National Center of Hematology and Transfusiology of the Ministry of Health, with the participation of the leadership and employees of the MFA.

Later, the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visited the area where the Patriotic War Memorial Complex and the Victory Museum are being built and laid bouquets of flowers in front of the memorial stone at the entrance of the area.