Information concerning people’s fate must not be subject to political conditionality.
According to the “Operative Information Center-OMM”, President Ilham Aliyev made the remarks in an address to participants of the “Fourth International Conference within the framework of the Baku Dialogue on Missing Persons.”
The head of state said the effectiveness of efforts to find missing persons depended directly on obtaining accurate information:
“Armenia must provide all information about the fate of missing Azerbaijanis and mass and individual burial sites, and facilitate the opening of relevant archives and the collection of witness testimony. This would be a legal obligation and a humanitarian responsibility, as well as a practical expression of commitment to peace and a contribution to strengthening mutual trust.”
Ilham Aliyev said Azerbaijan had been putting forward initiatives on resolutions concerning missing persons at the UN General Assembly since 2002:
“We believe it is important to further strengthen international efforts in this area. The United Nations and other relevant international organizations should play a more active role, within their mandates, in search efforts, information exchange, the development of forensic capabilities and increased support for families.”
