Lukashenko expresses regret over Azerbaijani civilians’ death

By Azernews

By Rashid Shirinov

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko expressed regret over the death of Azerbaijani civilians as a result of Armenia’s shelling of the Alkhanli village of Azerbaijan’s Fuzuli region, Vice-Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Bahar Muradova wrote on her Facebook page on July 6.

Muradova met with Lukashenko within the framework of participation in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s session in Minsk on July 5.

During the brief meeting, Alexander Lukashenko was the first to talk about the latest incident on the contact line between the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, Muradova wrote.

On July 4 evening, the Armenian armed forces using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers shelled the Alkhanli village of Azerbaijan’s Fuzuli region. As a result of this provocation, a resident of the village and her two-year-old granddaughter were killed. Another resident, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.