Armenian government commemorates Sumgait pogrom victims

At the start of Thursday’s Cabinet meeting, the Armenian government members observed a moment of silence to pay tribute to the innocent victims of the Sumgait pogroms perpetrated by Azerbaijan in 1988.

“31 years ago, a wave of violence started against Armenians in Sumgait, which was followed by the pogroms in Baku, Kirovabad and in numerous other Armenian-populated settlements,” said Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan, who is chairing the meeting.

“The Sumgait pogroms are an example of our compatriots being targeted on racial grounds. Such cases have not been few throughout our history, but, I believe, we have learned lessons from the history,” he added.