`On June 10, an open debate held in the UN Security council on the theme of `the protection of people during peacekeeping operations`. The Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the UN also attended the event`, the Press Service of Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told AzVision.az.

The UN Secretary-General Ban Gi Moon and the representatives of the UN member states made speeches on the issue at the debate.

Azerbaijani side expressed its concern regarding the targeting civilians during the military operations: `About 20 percent of Azerbaijan is under Armenian occupation. More than a million refugees and displaced persons are suffering from this conflict. Armenia has conducted a policy of ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijan and committed the Khojaly Genocide. Resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884 of the UN Security Council, which were passed in short intervals in 1993, and other resolutions adopted by the UN General Assembly, PACE, OSCE, OIC, and other organizations require Armenia to unconditionally withdraw its troops from Nagorno-Karabakh.`

Azerbaijani delegation draw the attendees of the event to the Azerbaijanis – Dilgam Asgerov and Shahbaz Guliyev – who were taken hostage by the Armenian soldiers on their way to Armenian-occupied Kalbajar region of Azerbaijan to visit their homeland. On December 19, 2014, the `court` of the so-called regime in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh sentenced Dilgam Asgarov to life in prison, Shahbaz Guliyev to 22 years in prison. Later the Azerbaijani delegation one more time appealed to the UN Security Council and international community on immediate release of Azerbaijani hostages.

`In April of this year, using the heavy artillery and large-caliber weapons the Armenian Armed Forces fired on the Azerbaijani civilians, densely populated in the borderline region. As a result, 6 civilians were killed, including 2 children; 33 civilians got injured; hundreds of civilian facilities including houses, schools and kindergartens were seriously damaged. Such inhumane actions committed by Armenia against Azerbaijan are war crimes`, the representatives of Azerbaijani delegation highlighted.

It was also noted in the meeting that the current and former Armenian authority threatens Azerbaijan with `dirty bombs`.

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