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Address of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev to the people of Azerbaijan in connection with the March 31 – the Day of genocide of Azerbaijanis Dear compatriots! At the new stage of our history, March 31 is a day, being marked by the people of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijanis of the world with grief and sorrow. The date has been marked since 1998, and the Azerbaijani people annually commemorates the Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis on March 31, conduct arrangements connected with respect for memories of the victims of genocide, makes efforts toward waking up the world community to the truth. Aim of the genocide policy pursued by the aggressive Armenian nationalists against our people along 200 years, concluded in ousting the Azerbaijanis from their historical lands, creating with the assistance of the foreign patrons in these lands an Armenian state. To realize this contemptible idea, Azerbaijanis have repeatedly been subject to extermination and persecution, military actions of ideological and organizational character on part of Armenians. The centuries-old history of our nation was brutally distorted, history of the Armenians was presented as ancient and rich. Azerbaijanis were gradually ousted from their home lands, these territories were settled by the Armenians, moved from other countries, Azerbaijan toponyms were armenianized. Along decades the policy of genocide was followed with total ideological aggression, terror against the Turkish and Azerbaijani peoples, their outstanding figures. In the period of tsarist Russia and USSR, this policy, with discrimination toward the Turkish-Moslem peoples was continued by much more sophisticated and dangerous methods, deportation and genocide of Azerbaijanis acquired a massive character. If to follow the chronology of the Armenian genocide policy against Azerbaijanis, can not but cause a surprise and anger the scale and methodology of atrocities and crimes committed against our people. Mass settlement of the Armenians at our historical lands after the division of Azerbaijan as result of wars between the former Russian Empire and Iran, massacres, committed by the Armenian dashnaks in 1905 and 1918s with the help of Tsarist Russia and bolshevics, transfering our territories to Armenia in 1920s, deportation of our compatriots from Armenia on decision of the soviet power in 1948-1953 were conducted on a special scenario as part of a single plan. Following this, the separatist acts, instigated and provoked by the leadership of Armenia and USSR, of the Nagorno Karabakh nationalists at the end of 1980s, outgrow of all these at last to a large-scale war, becoming refugees and internally displaces peoples of about one million of Azerbaijanis, occupation by Armenia of 20 percent of territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan – these are not the whole troubles, caused to the Azerbaijani people by the militant Armenian chauvinists in the name of their ‘great Armenia’ obsession, and their patrons. The genocide, being pursued against Azerbaijanis, intensiveness of deportation and occupation policy have not today weakened, on the contrary, campaign of propaganda and defaming was much more liven up. Taking opportunities of the foreign Armenian communities and Armenian lobby in the great states, the Armenian chauvinists-nationalists today continue to create an image of a “suffering, poor Armenian nation”, dictate their will to the principles of international law, using all inadmissible ways, attempt to distort the truth on the real genocide, conciliate the world communities with the fact of occupation of the Azerbaijan lands. Policy of genocide and deportation led to heavy consequences for our people in the economic, political, moral and material view. As result of the ongoing centuries-old disgraceful policy and expedient actions, the Azerbaijan lands were occupied by its aggressive neighbor, hundreds of thousand people were ousted from their homes, valuable material-cultural monuments were savagely destroyed. In general, the consequences of the policy of deportation and genocide have affected around 2 million of Azerbaijanis. Despite the fact that the genocide policy, being pursued against the Azerbaijanis, has a long history, the truth on this, was, however, partially brought to the notice of the community only last years thanks to resoluteness of the leadership of Azerbaijan. Was done certain work to expose the genocide policy against Azerbaijanis, bring the whole truth to the notice of the world communities. There are, however, a lot to be done. There is a great and responsible task before the state of Azerbaijan, public, Azerbaijan communities abroad. The holy task of our present generation is to regularly argue and bring on the base of real historical facts to the states of world and public opinion the truth on genocide, so that the Mankind knew the inspirers and organizers of these events. In this question, the whole people of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijanis of world, should unite and stand in a common position. These terrible events should be given a political and legal assessment, as crimes against Mankind. States of the world should define their positions in this fundamental issue, decline from stereotypes, formed as result of the Armenian propaganda. This is, on one hand, necessary to refrain from repetition of these events, on the other hand, it is our civil duty before memories of the genocide victims. We are against the transference of the historical events in regular and abnormal forms to our days, which try to do the Armenian nationalists, and use of them to create hostility among the peoples and nations. Propaganda of war, ideology of misanthropy at present time, territorial claims to other states, are inadmissible for us. Feeling of hatred against the whole people is alien to Azerbaijanis. Taking the opportunity, we want to persistently achieve progress of our country, build a happy life for our citizens. I once again respectfully bend my head before the blessed memories of the victims of genocide, express my condolence to their natives, and wish our people happiness, welfare, staunchness and firmness on the way of solution of our nationwide tasks. Heydar
Aliyev,
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