Day: October 24, 2023

Distinguished Visitors Day is being held as part of the “Mustafa Kemal Ataturk-2023” joint tactical exercises involving servicemen of the Azerbaijan Army and the Turkish Armed Forces, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting AzerTac, citing Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense.

At the invitation of Azerbaijan’s Minister of Defense, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, the delegations led by Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Türkiye Yashar Güler, Minister of Defense of the Republic of Tajikistan, Colonel General Sherali Mirzo, Head of the Department of Military Education and Science of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Major General Zhumabek Akhmetov and Deputy Minister of Defense for Combat Training of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Colonel Kadirjon Tursunov, as well as heads and representatives of several Turkish companies in the defense industry are participating in the Distinguished Visitors Day held as part of the “Mustafa Kemal Ataturk-2023” joint tactical exercises.

The post Distinguished Visitors Day held as part of “Mustafa Kemal Ataturk-2023” joint tactical exercises appeared first on Azerbaijan In Focus.

Azerbaijan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov has attended the first ministerial meeting held as part of the 3+3 regional platform format in Tehran, the Islamic Republic of Iran, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting AzerTac.

Highlighting the importance of the platform in strengthening security and stability in the region, as well as revealing the untapped potential for economic growth and progress, Minister Jeyhun Bayramov noted that this format had been established in order to review ways of addressing regional issues by the countries of the region.

FM Bayramov also touched upon the importance of respecting the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of each other’s borders, as well as not interfering in each other’s internal affairs.

Bayramov pointed out that the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project with the participation of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye, the North-South Transportation Corridor with the participation of Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran, and the Azerbaijan-Iran-Türkiye trilateral format are not only for the benefit of one state, but for the common benefit of each. He said these projects and formats are not limited to the countries of the region and cover the partners in a wider geography.

The FM underscored that the promotion of regional connectivity is important not only in the areas of transit and transport, but also in order to take advantage of the vast untapped potential in areas such as energy security and energy. He said that in addition to economic benefits, connectivity between the countries of the region are equally important in terms of promoting positive interdependence and thus contributing to peace and stability.

Minister Bayramov underlined that recent efforts towards establishing transport linkages between the Eastern Zangezur economic region of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic through the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran are of particular importance. He mentioned that the fast completion of the infrastructure projects and the commissioning of this route would be mutually beneficial for both countries in the region, as well as create a new connectivity corridor for increasing the transport and transit potential in Eurasia.

He pointed out that the end of the occupation of Azerbaijani territories and the full restoration of its sovereignty opened up new prospects for the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

FM Jeyhun Bayramov said that the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia based on mutual recognition and respect for each other’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders would not only benefit these countries, but would also enable to take advantage of the untapped potential for cooperation and progress.

The Minister once again drew attention to the fair and equal peace proposal of Azerbaijan with Armenia based on mutual respect for each other’s legitimate interests. “We expect mutual steps and a constructive approach from Armenia for an early resolution of the issues within the framework of the peace agreement, and hope that this unique chance for full regional normalization will not be missed again,” Jeyhun Bayramov emphasized.

The post Azerbaijani FM attends first 3+3 format ministerial meeting in Tehran appeared first on Azerbaijan In Focus.

Another court hearing of the criminal case against Vagif Cherkezovich Khachatryan, one of the members of the illegal Armenian armed formations, which committed a massacre in the village of Meshali of Azerbaijan’s Khojaly district on December 22, 1991, is currently being held in Baku, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting AzerTac.

The victims in the criminal case are providing testimonies against the defendant.

They are highlighting the crimes committed by the Vagif Khachatryan-led group in Meshali and surrounding areas.

10:45

During the hearing at the headquarters of the Yasamal District Court, chaired by Judge of the Baku Military Court Zeynal Aghayev, Vagif Khachatryan was provided with a translator.

The trial process is currently underway.

During the court hearing of the criminal case against Vagif Cherkezovich Khachatryan on October 17, an indictment against the defendant was announced, and the victims and the defendant provided testimonies.

Another court hearing, held on October 18, heard the testimonies of the victims, as they highlighted the crimes committed by the Khachatryan-led armed group and demanded the most severe sentence for the defendant.

Vagif Cherkezovich Khachatryan is charged under Article 103 (Genocide) and Article 107 (Deportation or forced exile of population) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

A criminal group with the participation of Vagif Khachatryan as part of armed formations, not provided for by the legislation of Azerbaijan, comprising of the Armenian nationalists living in the Karabakh economic region, as well as arrived from the Republic of Armenia, committed genocide against the local Azerbaijani population in the village of Meshali, Khojaly district on December 22, 1991 ( on the territory of the former Asgaran district).

As a result of these crimes of genocide, persecution, expulsion, armed conflicts committed against the Azerbaijani population in violation of international humanitarian law, a total of 27 people were intentionally killed, 21 people received injuries of varying degrees of severity, two villagers were taken hostage, 340 people out of 81 family households were expelled from their places of permanent residence to other territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan, resulting in material damage of total amount of 13,568,060 manats to the village residents, and 130,800 manats to the state.

The post Victims in criminal case against Vagif Khachatryan providing testimonies appeared first on Azerbaijan In Focus.

The Special Investigative Service has exposed two persons for illegally obstructing the professional activities of TV Mtavari’s journalist and cameraman. The incident took place in August, in the municipality of Mestia, in the Svaneti region of Georgia. 

“The investigation revealed that on August 26, 2023,  journalist Ema Gogokhia and cameraman Nika Gvalia of TV Mtavari Arkhi were in the village of Khaishi, Mestia municipality, on the territory of the wood-processing plant, to prepare the TV programme, when the defendants threatened the employees of TV Mtavari Arkhi with death and injury and physically abused them.

As a result, Ema Gogokhia and Nika Gvalia were prevented from carrying out their professional work”, – reads the statement of the Special Investigation Service.

On the basis of the decision of the Prosecutor’s Office, the Special Investigation Service has charged the two perpetrators under the second part of Article 154 and the first part of Article 126 of the Criminal Code of Georgia.

The attack on the employees of TV Mtavari Arkhi took place on August 26. According to Ema Gogokhia, there were 12 attackers, one of whom was probably the owner of the factory. Gogokhia said that she had been attacked before in connection with this very journalistic investigation.

Also Read:

• 14/07/2023 – One Arrested for Obstructing Journalists in Sagarejo
• 14/06/2023 – Adjara TV Public Broadcaster Journalist Assaulted
• 17/03/2023 – UPDATE: One Person Arrested for Violence Against the Journalist of TV Pirveli