Baku: Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan - Head of the Department of Foreign Policy Affairs of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Hikmet Hajiyev, emphasized the critical humanitarian and national importance of resolving the fate of missing persons in Azerbaijan. This statement was made through a post shared on August 30, marking the International Day of the Disappeared.

According to Azeri-Press news agency, Hajiyev highlighted that 4,010 Azerbaijani citizens remain missing due to the former Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. The issue is under intense scrutiny by President Ilham Aliyev, with the State Commission actively working to locate, recover, and identify missing individuals. These efforts aim to provide closure to families who have faced uncertainty for decades.

The process involves verifying witness testimonies, investigating suspected burial sites, excavating mass graves, and conducting forensic and DNA analysis on recovered remains. So far, 32 mass graves have been discovered, and 328 missing persons have been identified through DNA analysis. Cooperation from Armenia, particularly in providing accurate information regarding burial sites, is deemed essential to resolving these cases.

Despite challenges such as difficult terrain, adverse weather conditions, and the presence of mines and unexploded ordnance, search operations persist with the aid of available resources and advanced technologies. The statement underscores the belief that every family deserves to know the fate of their loved ones, asserting, "Every missing person has a name. Every family deserves an answer."