British MPs reveal dire outcomes of Armenian occupation in Aghdam

British MP Bob Blackman has said that since his election to the parliament, he has been to Azerbaijan several times, but a visit to the country's liberated territories has been an all-new experience for him to see the destruction committed during the occupation by Armenia.

Blackman, who heads the Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group with Azerbaijan of the British House of Commons, noted that extensive reconstruction and restoration work is underway in these lands to ensure the return of the former IDPs.

"Their families lived here, these people want to return to their roots," he told APA.

Blackman added that the problem of mines is a serious challenge in these areas, and intensive mine action is ongoing.

“In addition, fantastic work is being done on laying new roads and railway lines. We look around, everything here has been destroyed over the years, over 30 years, and traces of destruction are everywhere. Despite the fact that hostilities took place here, almost every house was destroyed, and demolished, and materials were stolen. In the previous photographs of these places, you can see what the environment was like, the buildings, and the people used to live here. And I'm not surprised people want to come back again," he said.

In the meantime, David Dugid, another MP of the British parliament visiting the liberated Azerbaijani lands, said the main reason for their visit to these areas was the familiarisation with mine action by Azerbaijan, which is supported by the UK government.

“Indeed, the scale of these destructions is regrettable. But at the same time, the work being done here now, and the efforts being made are encouraging. I am very pleased that some of the redevelopment work in these areas is also being carried out by the British government. It's good to see this," he told APA.  

"It was painful to hear about the destruction in the cemeteries. I'm trying to understand why the occupiers need to remove the bodies from the graves. What is the reason?! It begs the question, why did they invade this land, and then just start destroying everything? It's all really weird."

Dugid added that the trip to Aghdam is of particular importance to him since, in the early 2000s, he lived and worked in Baku.

“At that time, I knew about the ongoing conflict, but I did not see it all. I and the delegation were struck by the fact that these places were simply occupied and did not try to build something here, they did not live here, they simply destroyed these territories in order to devastate them. It's hard to understand the logic behind this," he said.