Baku: 'Of course, we can never forget the painful and bloody memories of the past. As the President has repeatedly noted in his speeches, we will never forget the period of occupation,' Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev said in a statement to journalists, APA reports.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, one of the unresolved issues from the occupation period is the fate of nearly 4,000 missing Azerbaijani citizens, the majority of whom are civilians. Despite the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) having operated in Azerbaijan for over 30 years with a mandate focused on humanitarian issues, there is still no resolution regarding these missing persons. Hajiyev criticized the ICRC for not completing their work or fulfilling their mandate, leaving the issue unresolved.

Hikmat Hajiyev emphasized that Azerbaijan has sought information from Armenia through various channels, including appeals to Armenian civil society representatives. He stressed that Azerbaijani families are still waiting for news about their relatives. While search operations by the State Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan have led to the discovery and identification of the remains of some citizens, much work remains. Hajiyev reiterated that the ICRC should have carried out these tasks over the past three decades, but their efforts have been unsatisfactory. Azerbaijani citizens have legitimate expectations regarding this matter.