BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 7.
The parties to the armed conflict must take all necessary measures
to investigate the fate of missing persons, record and share the
information in their possession, search for the deceased, and treat
their remains with respect, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister
Fariz Rzayev said at the 4th international conference on the theme
"Strengthening trust and developing effective mechanisms to resolve
the issue of missing persons" held within the framework of the Baku
Dialogue on Missing Persons on Wednesday, Trend's correspondent
reports from the event.


He noted that for the family of a missing person, that
individual is never merely a statistic or a registration
number.


"This uncertainty shapes the future decisions of their loved
ones, whether spouse, child, or parent. It remains unknown whether
there will be a grave they can visit and where they can mourn. More
than 4,000 Azerbaijani citizens are missing, and their fates remain
unknown. Thousands of families endure this suffering amid
uncertainty for years, or even decades.


Following the liberation of Azerbaijani territories, we
discovered numerous mass grave sites containing human remains. The
remains were examined, identities were established, and dignified
burials were arranged. However, the fate of the vast majority
remains unknown," he explained.


Rzayev added that mines and unexploded ordnance continue to make
search operations in the area dangerous.


"I once again call upon all parties to share all information in
their possession that could help clarify the fate and whereabouts
of thousands of missing Azerbaijanis and other persons.


Azerbaijan hasn’t limited its commitment to humanitarian
obligations solely to cases involving its own citizens. Since
November 2020, it has continued search operations despite security
challenges and the risk of mines.







This demonstrates our commitment to a responsible humanitarian
approach and the value we place on human dignity, regardless of
whose remains are involved," he emphasized.


The 4th international conference on the theme "Strengthening
trust and developing effective mechanisms to resolve the issue of
missing persons", organized by the State Commission on Prisoners of
War, Hostages and Missing Persons, is being held in Gulustan Palace
within the framework of the Baku Dialogue on Missing Persons.


The event is attended by former heads of state and government,
high-ranking representatives of international organizations and
foreign countries, heads of agencies dealing with missing persons,
experts, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and
human rights specialists, as well as ambassadors and military
attachés of foreign countries accredited in Azerbaijan and other
officials.


One of the main directions of this year's discussions is the
formation and strengthening of trust between the parties.


The purpose of the conference is not to be satisfied with
discussions, but to contribute to the formation of practical and
sustainable mechanisms that strengthen trust and cooperation, serve
to ensure families' right to know the truth, facilitate information
exchange, and expand the application of modern forensic, DNA and
technological capabilities. The event will continue until October
10.