Azerbaijan wants to sign peace with Armenia, says presidential representative

Azerbaijan has been actively conducting a substantial aid campaign for the Armenian residents of the country’s Garabagh region since the conclusion of recent one-day anti-terrorism measures.

Since early October, employees from the State Migration Service, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population, as well as the Defence Ministry started operating in Khankendi, the central city of Garabagh. In addition, Azerbaijani authorities dispatched seven ambulances with medical crews to the city. Azerbaijan's mobile network operators Azercell, Nar, and Bakcell activated their services in Garabagh.

Last week, Azerbaijan’s Digital Development and Transport Ministry sent 30 passenger buses to assist in transporting Armenian residents from Khankendi to Armenia in response to their request. With this addition, a total of 40 buses dispatched by Azerbaijani authorities are helping facilitate the voluntary movement of the Armenian residents of the Garabagh region to Armenia.

As part of the aid campaign, 40 tonnes of gasoline and 24 tonnes of diesel fuel were delivered by Azerbaijani authorities to Khankendi on September 23. By September 28, the Armenian residents of the Garabagh region had received a total of 140 tons of gasoline and 74 tonnes of diesel fuel from the government of Azerbaijan. On September 22, two lorries transported 40 tonnes of food and hygiene products to the city of Khankendi. The cargo included 1,200 sets of food packages containing flour, butter, sugar, tea, and other essential nutrients, along with 9,600 pieces of baby diapers and 6,000 loaves of bread.

When a deadly explosion occurred at a petrol station near Khankendi on September 25, the government of Azerbaijan immediately dispatched medical supplies for the 200 victims of the incident. Additional medical assistance from the same batch was delivered on September 26. On the same day, 500 bedding sets and 40 tonnes of flour were sent to the Armenian residents of the Garabagh region.

Also, the Emergencies Ministry of Azerbaijan dispatched firefighting crews in 15 specially equipped vehicles to Khankendi to extinguish the deadly fire. The blaze was successfully extinguished by Azerbaijani firefighters following an immediate assessment of the area to prevent its spread to surrounding areas. On September 27, the ministry sent additional crews in 10 special-purpose vehicles to conduct post-blaze rescue and other necessary security operations. On the same day, the ministry supplied 23,160 packages of cookies, 10,000 chocolate bars, and 31,680 bottles of drinking water to the Armenian residents of the Garabagh region.

To address the aftermath of the deadly blast, the Azerbaijani government mobilized hospitals in the Aghdam, Saatli, and Sabirabad regions of the country, reinforcing their medical staff with additional personnel. Moreover, the Lachin-Khankendi and Aghdam-Khankendi roads were also open for movements, including convoys of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Azerbaijani authorities also permitted a helicopter with Armenian medical staff on board to enter the Garabagh region from Armenia. The helicopter was allowed to take aboard people in need of medical assistance, as well as provide treatment on the ground.

The ministry also initiated the installation of a field hospital and a field kitchen near the town of Khojaly to facilitate assistance to the fire victims. To expedite the installation process, the ministry's professional personnel on 53 vehicles departed for the area on Wednesday.

From September 19 to 20, the Azerbaijan Armed Forces conducted a counter-terrorism operation in the country’s Garabagh region to disarm the remnants of the Armenian army. The operation followed the intensifying Armenian attacks on Azerbaijani positions and the recent deadly mine incidents, resulting in the deaths of Azerbaijani police officers and road construction workers. By the cessation of hostilities, dozens of military posts, strongholds and equipment of the illegal military formations were disabled.

On September 20, the so-called "defence forces" of the separatists surrendered, agreeing to full disarmament and withdrawal. Since then, the Azerbaijani army, in coordination with the temporary Russian peacekeeping mission in the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan, has been confiscating arms, ammunition, and equipment from the Armenian army formations. The process will reportedly continue until the illegal armed formations are completely disarmed and removed from the territory of Azerbaijan.