Azerbaijan, Pakistan enjoy excellent ties, says ambassador Alizada

ISLAMABAD,JAN 20 (DNA) – Ambassador of Azerbaijan Ali Alizada has said Azerbaijan and Pakistan enjoy brotherly relations adding  after restoration of our independence Pakistan became the third country which recognized the independece of Azerbaijan in 1991.

He said Pakistan showed brotherly approach supporting Azerbaijan all these years, didn’t recognizing aggressor country Armenia as a state.

The Azerbaijan ambassdor expressed these views while speaking at a seminar “ Black January: from martyrdom to independece of Azerbaijan”.

The ambassador furtehr siad,  during these years our relations increased to the strategic relations which we enjoy now.

“ And today the commemorating the 27th anniversary of Black January in Islamabad,  shows the sincere of our brotherhood and friendship. And taking this opportunity I would like to extend my warm gratitude to the government and people of Pakistan, also to the chancellor and team of Preston University for the conditions which provided for our Embassy today and for the organization of this seminar, as well as to the participants of the seminar, excelencies, diplomats, our friends from media, students, scholars, professors of University and to everybody who was involved”.

The ambassador further siad, it is a great privilege for him and for Embassy to commemorate with you the 27th anniversary of Black January, we are calling black, but this day is also pride day in the history of Azerbaijan.

He added,  Black because, during the tragedy the courageous sons and daughters of the Azerbaijani people who stood up for the motherland’s dignity, honour and freedom became martyrs. Pride day because this day went down in history of the struggle for the freedom and territorial integrity, for independence of Azerbaijan, as a heroism page, the ambassador added.

Ambassador Alizada said, at that time the former Soviet Union’s sowing  seeds of ethnic discrimination reached its peak. This policy of Soviet Union and territorial claims made by Armenia against Azerbaijan escalated socio-political situation in the  region.

“ Annexation of part of our lands to Armenia, finally, giving  Daghlig Garabagh, the integral part of Azerbaijan to Armenia as a gift  exhausted our  people’s patience. And the struggle for national liberation started,  with demonstrations and rallies in protest  to the Armenian separatism in Daghlig Garabagh”.

He said, the crimes committed against civilian population by Armenians, who  backed by supporters in the management of  the Soviet Union, caused the anger of our people. In 1988, national liberation movement  took place in connection with the conflict  Daghlig Garabagh,  caused serious concern of the leadership of the Soviet Union with its  greatness and  principality.

In 1988, Azerbaijan became one of the first Soviet Republics to adopt the declaration of sovereignty, and this was a clear manifestation of independence from the Soviet point of view. And the main reason and aim of invasion of Baku and committing this bloody tragedy by the Soviet Army was clearly annexation of part of our lands to Armenia and to stop the dissolution of the Communist regime, crush any opposition in Azerbaijan’s bid for independence, and preserving status quo, he added.

The ambassaodr said, looking to the background of the massacre committed by the Soviet troops, it was clearly understood that this military operation was totally planned and calculated act. This aggression against Azerbaijani people fulfilled step by step.

He said, in the list of the innocent victims of the Black January there were people from the different community of Azerbaijan, such as Russians and also other nationalities.

The Soviet argument that the Soviet troops entered to Azerbaijan for stopping so-called violation against the Soviet citizens had not justification because Azerbaijani people who died at the result of Armenian pogroms were also Soviet citizens then, and Soviet army did not intervene to Armenia for stopping pogroms against Azerbaijanis. Soviet mass media did not even mention that tragedy, and crime passed over in silence.

At that time, Azerbaijan was in the information blockade, the international community was unaware of the bloody  and ominous incident that took place. At that time if national lider of Azerbaijani nation Heydar Aliyev didn’t made his first statement condemning the bloody crime committed  in Baku by the Soviet army, the international community couldn’t get information about this tragedy, the ambassador added.

He said, Gorbachev sending both armored troops and KGB officials into Baku, succeeded temporarily in preventing independence, but he was unable to stop the quest for freedom, and, in fact, accelerated the process by enhancing nationalistic feelings among all Azerbaijani people.

Tragedy of January 20 which brought to huge losses and destruction of innocent people, demonstrated martial spirit, inexorability and pride of our nation, which couldn’t stand the policy of the government of Gorbachev headed criminal empire treacherous  towards Azerbaijan, intended to the freedom and independence.

As a result of it, we gained restoration of our independence and our country had achieved sovereignty, the ambassador concluded.=DNA