2017.04.25
Participants of the IV International Scientific Conference on "The Genocide of Turkic-Muslim Peoples in the XX centure"
Dear participants of the conference!
I cordially greet you on a regular scientific conference on the problems of genocide taking place in Azerbaijan.
Today, in the period of complex geopolitical processes, ensuring peace and stability is one of the most important issues of concern for mankind.
It should be noted with regret that in the world there are gradually becoming more and more such phenomena as xenophobia, extremism, religious discrimination and terrorism, which lead to a violation of the norms of peaceful coexistence. Such threatening tendencies, which impact on global security, cause armed clashes, destruction of cultural monuments, massacres of innocent people and spiritual degradation.
Residents of the city of Lankaran, where the conference was held, as well as in other regions of our country, as early as 1918-1919 are experienced the bitterness of reprisals committed by the Armenian-Dashnak gangs. Steadily passing through complex trials of history, our citizens in the southern region, who are always proud of their devotion to the Azerbaijani state, their attachment to the national and spiritual values of our people, actively participated in the struggle for the independence and territorial integrity of the republic, suffered numerous losses along this path.
Azerbaijan, which has rich multicultural values, traditions of tolerance, is the spokesperson for peace and security on the planet, takes a principled stand against racial, national and religious discrimination. Our people, in whose historical memory the shocks from deportations, ethnic cleansings and massacres are alive, in February this year, with deep sorrow, marked the 25th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide - one of the most monstrous tragedies of our time. Persons directly involved in the genocide still did not suffer a well-deserved punishment in accordance with the norms of international law, which undoubtedly encourages them to commit new bloody acts, to continue their intentions connected with military aggression. Therefore, in order to achieve an objective political and legal assessment of crimes against humanity, to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice, it is extremely important to conduct a broad scientific study of historical reality and bring the results to the world community. I believe that the discussions at this authoritative forum, as well as at previous scientific conferences, will contribute to a detailed coverage of the bitter realities and condemnation of those who committed the genocide before the history. I wish you new successes in this honorable and responsible business.
Ilham Aliyev
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
http://science.gov.az/news/open/5519
