Bucharest, March 1, AZERTAC

A commemorative event on the 27th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide has been held at the National Library of Romania in Bucharest.

Participants in the event included heads and representatives of diplomatic corps accredited in Romania, intellectuals, teaching staff and students of universities, as well as members of the Board of Romania-Azerbaijan Friendship Society, Romania-Azerbaijan Bilateral Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Romania-Azerbaijan Culture and Youth Association, and Azerbaijanis living and studying in Romania.

In his opening remarks, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Romania Huseyn Najafov described the Khojaly genocide as one of the gravest crimes committed against the Azerbaijani people and humanity.

The ambassador provided an insight into the bloody events committed on the night of 25-26 February 1992, in a small town of Khojaly in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. He noted that 613 Azerbaijani civilians, including 106 women, 63 children and 70 elderly were killed, 1,275 people were taken as hostages while 150 more are still missing.

Azerbaijani diplomat also highlighted the activities of the “Justice for Khojaly” international awareness campaign which was initiated by Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva on May 8, 2008.

Addressing the event, the Azerbaijani President's Assistant for Public and Political Affairs Ali Hasanov highlighted the mass terror and slaughter committed by the Armenians against the Azerbaijani people in the past two centuries.

The Presidential Assistant gave detailed information about Armenia’s groundless territorial claims against Azerbaijan, deportation of about 200,000 Azerbaijanis living in Armenia, the terrorist acts and massacres committed against the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh, and the true essence of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The event then featured the screening of a film "Khojaly genocide” by Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

Igbal Hajiyev

Special Correspondent