The Sumgait massacre was organized to prevent the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians from expressing their will to withdraw from Azerbaijan and join Armenia, Armenian Ambassador to Russia Oleg Yesayan stated at a function in commemoration of the Sumgait massacre victims near the Armenian Church of Surb Harutyun (Holy Resurrection), in Moscow, Feb. 28.

Attending the ceremony were Armenian Embassy staff, Prime Minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) Ara Harutyunyan, NKR Representation staff, members of local Armenian NGOs, students and Armenians residing in Moscow. They laud a wreath at the khachkar (cross-stone), commemorating the Sumgait massacre victims.

Head of the Novo-Nakhichevan diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Bishop Ezras Nersisyan spoke at the ceremony. He pointed out that the events in Sumgait in 1988 are one of the tragic pages of the Armenian people`s history. Armenians throughout the world will never forget the tragedy.

Ambassador Oleg Yesayan pointed out that the tragic events must be viewed as genocide, a continuation of the Great Genocide of 1915. The Sumgait massacre was aimed at breaking the Armenian people`s will for historical justice. "However, the Azerbaijani leaders failed to dishearten Armenians and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is reality now," Ambassador Yesayan said.