Mr. Speaker, it was 20 years ago that a most brutal incident took place in a tragic war.
Canada remembers the Khojaly massacre whose death toll exceeded as many as 2,000 civilians. Today we remember.
This massacre was one of many atrocities both sides were alleged to have committed during the Nagorno-Karabakh war between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The war killed over 30,000 civilians and soldiers and displaced more than one million people. The border region remains to this day a place of scattered but deadly clashes.
We encourage all parties to continue their efforts to seek a peaceful resolution to this dispute.
Today we think of those who died, and today we remember.
This is a time of remembrance, as well as a very important day for the Azerbaijani community. I send best wishes to the people of Azerbaijan, in particular the people of the Azerbaijani community in my city of London, as they celebrate their 94th Republic Day today, May 28. On this special day, let us all pray for peace.