(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, Oct. 22 . Azerbaijani First
Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva was interviewed by News Agency on October 22,
2020.
Question: First of all, on our behalf and on behalf of
our readers, we would like to congratulate you on the liberation of
a number of Azerbaijani cities and settlements from
occupation.
Answer: I congratulate all our people on the occasion of these
significant events. It is possible to say that good news is coming
from the front every day. Our soldiers and officers carry out
combat missions with honor. While carrying out successful
operations, they, one after another, liberate cities and other
settlements from occupation, take strategic heights. After a long
break, almost 30 years later, we all are proud to see how an
Azerbaijani soldier is hoisting our flag in our native lands. This
is not just military success. This is the restoration of historical
justice because these are our ancestral, historical lands.
It is possible to say that today the Azerbaijani people, headed
by President Ilham Aliyev, are writing a new history. This is the
history of our common victories!
I see how the people rallied around their president,
determination and courage of our young people when they accepted
the president's appeal to unite for a common goal, for the sake of
liberation of Azerbaijani lands from the occupation.
Q.: Each word voiced by you is consonant with the will
of our people and entails unprecedented activity in actions and
deeds. The efforts of our compatriots aimed at exposing the
Armenian lies and slander immediately after your appeal vividly
testify to this.
A.: I would like to thank everyone who responded to my appeal to
be active in the information field. We must always remember that
confrontation covers not only the line of direct hostilities, but
also the information field. I see how our youth, our fellow
citizens expose the fakes of the Armenian propaganda, bring the
truth about the Armenian aggression to the international community
on all available platforms. Their voice of truth helps to identify
historical falsification and prevent the spread of absolutely
baseless, deliberately false, provocative materials.
I thank the media representatives. It is possible to convey to
the world today's Azerbaijani realities thanks to their objectivity
and high professionalism.
It is impossible not to mention our compatriots living abroad,
who, holding flags in their hands, protest against the invaders and
show Armenia's aggressive nature to the international community. I
express gratitude to our friends around the world who empathize and
express their principled and fair position in support of the
Azerbaijani people.
Today we all think about the situation at the front. The
Azerbaijani people trust their president and are sure that the
president knows what to do. Therefore, we are more than ever in
solidarity in all our activities. And, of course, our soldiers feel
this support. They know that the Azerbaijani people are behind
them.
Q.: As you have repeatedly stressed in your statements,
our people demonstrate incredible strength of spirit and courage
even despite the Armenian armed forces resort to monstrous
provocations against the civilian population.
A.: Unfortunately, the Armenian side deliberately violates not
only the requirements of international conventions, but also
oversteps the norms of morality. The attack on the civilians of
Ganja, Mingachevir, Tartar, Barda, Aghdam, Aghjabadi, Goranboy,
Naftalan and other settlements openly exposes Armenia's insidious
policy against Azerbaijan. How could a cemetery be shelled during a
funeral procession? How could Ganja city be subjected to missile
strike at night? Innocent civilians, children, women were killed.
This is a crime against humanity, this is terrorism. All this
clearly shows that Yerevan is not interested in peace, but only
wants to escalate the conflict, transform it into a regional
confrontation.
However, no foul actions of Armenia, no dirty provocations on a
political platform, no insidious adventures in the information
field, no monstrous attacks on civilians - nothing can break the
will of the Azerbaijani people. The demonstration of unity,
solidarity, compassion and mutual support is a kind of message of
the Azerbaijani people that no one will ever break our spirit and
desire to liberate our Motherland from occupation.
I call on the world community not to remain indifferent to what
is happening and to firmly condemn the barbaric cruelty towards the
Azerbaijani civilians. Yerevan must stop ignoring international
conventions, as well as UN Security Council's resolutions calling
on the Armenian occupying forces to end their aggression against
Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan has never laid claim to other country's lands. We do
not attack civilians. Our cause is right. Our army liberates the
Azerbaijani lands from occupation. Showing heroism and courage, our
soldiers fight with honor for the Motherland and write their names
in the Azerbaijani history. I wish speedy recovery to all the
wounded. I express my deep condolences to the families and
relatives of the killed servicemen. May the Almighty rest the souls
of our brave sons, who became martyrs in the name of the
Motherland. Their death will not remain and will not go unpunished.
A worthy response is being given to the Armenian Armed Forces.
On my instructions, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation renders the
necessary support to the families of the victims. Everything
possible is also being done for the wounded soldiers to recover and
return to normal life. Today, all our wounded soldiers and officers
want to recover as soon as possible and go back to the zones of
hostilities to continue their just struggle for the Motherland.
This is the strength of spirit and patriotism of the Azerbaijani
people.
Q.: You have stressed the extraordinary unity of people
these days. We all remember the phrase 'We are strong together',
which has become a kind of slogan in the fight against the
coronavirus pandemic. Can we say that it has acquired a special
meaning?
A.: Of course. Only by maintaining unity and supporting the
president we will be able to overcome all the challenges and
difficulties that will be remembered for this year.
You mentioned the coronavirus pandemic and I would like to touch
on this issue in details. Thanks to the timely and thoughtful
measures, we have so far managed to avoid a catastrophic scenario
that, unfortunately, many countries have faced. According to the
experts, our country is among those that survived the first and
very dangerous stage of the epidemic with the least losses. We
managed to create a professional team coordinating all aspects of
the fight against the epidemic, consolidate the necessary technical
and human resources. Quarantine measures that helped to reduce the
rate of spread of the coronavirus were applied. Together we were
able to save our homeland from the destructive spread of the
disease.
Unfortunately, the virus, which has brought so much misery and
suffering to many countries and peoples, has not been defeated yet.
It still poses a big threat - deteriorating statistics around the
world testifies to this. The war against the pandemic is still
being waged. Numerous restrictions are re-entering into force in
many European countries.
Our country, unfortunately, is no exception. There has been an
increase in the number of infected people, some restrictions have
been reintroduced in educational institutions, public transport
recently.
I urge each of you not to forget about the danger of
coronavirus, to follow the elementary rules that have been adhered
to for so many months - to wear masks, keep distance, not to visit
crowded places without urgent need. All of these well-known rules
will help reduce the risk of infection, and therefore protect us
and our loved ones. We always treat the older generation with
special care and respect. And during the first stage of the
pandemic, we thoroughly protected them. I am sure that we will be
even more attentive in the current situation.
Today, when our army continues its historic mission, it is
necessary to reduce the burden on the state, as well as on the
healthcare system, as much as possible. It is important now that
all resources are concentrated on liberation of our lands from
occupation.
Taking care of our health, being vigilant and disciplined, we at
the same time help and protect our soldiers on the front line. I am
sure that we will cope with this task and once again prove that our
strength is in unity.