President calls on Armenia: “It must provide all information”

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has addressed the participants of the 4th International Conference within the framework of the Baku Dialogue on Missing Persons.

TodayPress TV reports that the address was delivered by Ali Naghiyev, Chairman of the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons and Head of the State Security Service.

The address reads:

Dear conference participants!

I sincerely welcome you to the 4th International Conference held in the Baku Dialogue format and dedicated to strengthening trust and developing effective mechanisms for resolving the issue of missing persons.

The issue of missing persons is one of the most severe consequences of armed conflicts. We approach this issue as a universal humanitarian problem affecting people's lives in different parts of the world.

Despite the end of the conflict, clarifying the fate of missing persons remains one of the most important issues for the Azerbaijani state. The Baku Dialogue, established at Azerbaijan’s initiative, serves as an important platform for bringing together the efforts of states, international organizations and experts on the issue of missing persons, exchanging experience, expanding practical cooperation and increasing international attention to this problem.

Azerbaijan’s full restoration of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, along with the consistent policy it has pursued, has created a historic opportunity for sustainable peace and cooperation in the South Caucasus. The signing of the Joint Declaration between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Washington on August 8, 2025, in the presence of the President of the United States, as well as the initialling of a peace agreement between the two countries, was an important step in this direction.

Establishing sustainable peace requires not only political agreements, but also strengthening trust and eliminating the humanitarian consequences of the conflict. Determining the fate of missing persons is an integral part of this process and our moral responsibility toward their families.

As a result of Armenia’s more than 30-year military aggression against Azerbaijan, 4,010 Azerbaijanis, including children, women and elderly people, have been registered as missing persons. We regret to note that the activities of the International Committee of the Red Cross over these years have not produced results.

The historic Victory achieved in the Patriotic War and the liberation of our territories from occupation have opened up new opportunities to search for our missing citizens. Today, the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons is expanding its activities and carrying out intensive measures to determine the whereabouts of missing citizens and identify mass graves.

To date, 32 mass graves have been discovered in our liberated territories. Examinations conducted on human remains indicate that the Azerbaijanis who were killed had been subjected to torture. Concealing prisoners of war and hostages from international organizations, killing them under torture and covering up traces of crimes constitute gross violations of international law. These acts must be given a legal assessment.

Azerbaijan will continue to mobilize all its capabilities to clarify the fate of people whose whereabouts remain unknown. None of our missing citizens is forgotten, and determining their fate remains a constant focus of the state. Providing comprehensive support and care to every family affected by this tragedy and sharing their pain is our moral obligation.

The effectiveness of searches for missing persons directly depends on obtaining accurate information. Armenia must provide all information about the fate of missing Azerbaijanis and the locations of mass and individual burial sites, and must facilitate access to relevant archives and the collection of witness testimonies. This would not only be a legal obligation and humanitarian responsibility, but also a practical expression of commitment to peace and a contribution to strengthening mutual trust. Information concerning human lives must not be subject to political conditioning.

Dear conference participants!

Since 2002, Azerbaijan has initiated resolutions concerning missing persons at the UN General Assembly. We believe that international efforts in this area must be further strengthened. The United Nations and other relevant international organizations should be more active, within their mandates, in searches, information exchange, developing forensic capabilities and increasing support for families.

In this regard, effective mechanisms must be based on political will, reliable information and sustained cooperation. The use of modern technologies, access to archival information, training specialists and regularly informing families are key areas of this work. All activities must be carried out on the basis of respect for human dignity and international humanitarian law, without discrimination. Azerbaijan is ready to contribute to joint initiatives in this area. In this regard, we consider it necessary to establish a special mechanism on missing persons within the United Nations framework in order to ensure greater global attention to the issue.

I am confident that the discussions to be held and proposals to be put forward within the framework of the Conference will contribute to clarifying the fate of missing persons and strengthening international humanitarian cooperation.

I wish the Conference success and all of you productive discussions.