The Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Olena Kondratiuk delivered a speech at the Special Session of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Heydar Aliyev.
She recalled that the national leader of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, noted the firm confidence of Ukrainians in the chosen path of independence and the desire to end dependence on any other state.
The Vice-Speaker also thanked Azerbaijan for its support and cooperation and for providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
“I would like to thank the leadership of Azerbaijan for its consistent support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. For my part, I would like to assure you that Ukraine will unconditionally support the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognised borders,” said Olena Kondratiuk.
The Vice Speaker stressed that Azerbaijan, like Ukraine, defends its land with dignity. She also thanked the ethnic Azerbaijanis who are fighting and sacrificing their lives for the freedom of Ukraine in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In her speech, the Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine drew the attention of the Azerbaijani leadership and the participants of the meeting to the devastating consequences of the russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Vice-Speaker stressed that during the russian invasion, more than 3,000 educational and 1,200 healthcare facilities in Ukraine were damaged by bombing and shelling.
“In the Ukrainian city of Irpin, which you have all heard about in the horrific news about the atrocities of the russian army against Ukrainian civilians, there is a street and a park named after Heydar Aliyev’s wife, a prominent ophthalmologist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva. Irpin school No. 12 is also named after her. The school named after Aliyeva was shelled by the russians,” emphasised Olena Kondratiuk.
At the same time, the Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada focused attention not only on the occupation of Ukrainian lands by russia, “but also on the direct insane intention of the russians to commit an open genocide of Ukrainians by abducting our children”.
She stressed that almost 20,000 Ukrainian children – and this is only the official figure – have been forcibly deported to russia.
"This crime has been documented and the International Criminal Court has already issued an arrest warrant for the perpetrators. That is why I appeal to Azerbaijan to help us return all Ukrainian children home. There are no other people's children, and I believe that the power of international pressure and will can stop this inhuman crime and punish the ideologues of the latest genocide," said Olena Kondratiuk.