Parents of missing soldiers rally in Yerevan, BakuApril 8, 2021 - 18:56 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Parents whose sons went missing during the Second Karabakh War staged a rally in Yerevan and Baku, the capitals of Armenia and Azerbaijan, on Thursday, April 8. Family members gathered in front of the Defense Ministry in Yerevan, blocking the entrance to the facility. Parents feared clashes amid a large police presence and urged people to join their protest. "We want our children back but they told us they will use force if the entrance is not unblocked," one of the parents said. "They outnumber us, but we are ready for extreme measures." In Baku, meanwhile, parents gathered in front of the president's office to demand a more vigorous search mission and more attention to their problems. They called on the Presidents of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Russia to help discover the fate of their children. According to information provided by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, 64 soldiers were declared missing as of January 2021 though some bodies have been recovered since. The Armenian side has not provided information about the missing. Top stories The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said. The situation on the contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was relatively stable overnight, the Defense Army says. Defense Minister Suren Papikyan has visited the southern Armenian province of Syunik, the Defense Ministry reported on March 18. Partner news | Turkey extends military presence in Azerbaijan The Turkish parliament has adopted a bill submitted by Recep Tayyip Erdogan to extend the mandate of Turkish troops. Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills Armenian, Saudi Foreign Minister meet in Riyadh The two commended the positive dynamics of the development of political dialogue between Armenia and Saudi Arabia Pashinyan: Azerbaijan’s proximity shouldn’t worry border residents At the same time, he said that he “does not guarantee [the security of villagers] one hundred percent”. |