The Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ali Alizada has said that the Azerbaijani nation always remembers that Pakistan was one of the first Countries to recognize Azerbaijan as an independent State, and that it never established its relations with the aggressor Armenia, Eurasia Diary reports citing the Dispatch News Desk (DND) news agency.

His remarks came when he addressed an event titled “Remembrance Day Ceremony of 20 January Martyrs of Azerbaijan” held at Preston University in Islamabad on Monday to mark Black January.

Azerbaijanis annually commemorate Black January when Soviet tanks and troops, with terrible cruelty, inhuman savagery and violence invaded the streets of Baku on January 20, 1990.

In his address at the event, Ambassador Ali Alizada said that January 20 was the beginning of independence of Azerbaijan.

The ambassador said that on January 19-20, 1990, 147 civilians were killed and 744 were seriously injured when 26,000 soviet troops assaulted various Azerbaijan’s Cities including Baku.

Ali Alizada stressed upon an impartial assessment of events that led to the January 20 tragedy. He noted that the basis of all these calamities was the baseless territorial claims of the Armenians, who were massively resettled in the region, especially in the historical lands of Azerbaijan since the early 19th Century,

The envoy further said that Pakistan and Azerbaijan have very similarities in the process of getting independence. He said that Pakistan rendered thousands of lives in its war against terrorism and Azerbaijan is also facing the same situation due to Armenian hostility.

The Chancellor of Preston University Dr Abdul Basit also delivered his remarks at the event.

Earlier an Art Exhibition was also held at the Exhibition Hall of Preston University.

In the end, prizes were distributed among students who got positions in the Art Exhibition.