BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. Armenia does not allow UNESCO to send its mission to study the state of Azerbaijani cultural heritage on its territory, Chairman of the board of the Western Azerbaijan Community, Aziz Alakbarov, a member of the Azerbaijani Parliament, said, TurkicWorld reports.
He made the remark at the Second International Conference of the Western Azerbaijan Community on "The Right to Return: Advancing Justice for Azerbaijanis Expelled from Armenia."
According to him, Armenia's policy of creating a mono-ethnic society contrasts with the rich traditions and history of ethnic and religious diversity of the region.
He stated that Armenia evicted all Azerbaijanis from its territory and that there are currently no Azerbaijanis there.
"Armenia has dealt a serious blow to our tangible and intangible cultural heritage by purposefully destroying our cemeteries and cultural and religious monuments. Our traditions, social ties, and way of life have suffered greatly.
Our aim in recounting these historical facts is not to continue the strife but to explain the starting point of our struggle for justice, peace, and reconciliation. We are committed to the goal of a peaceful return to our ancestral lands and respect the norms and principles of international law. The Concept of Return adopted by our community last year is an important document calling on the international community to support the right of return of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia. We continue to defend these rights in the framework of dialogue with the UN, UNESCO, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and other authoritative international organizations," he said.
Alakbarov emphasized that recognizing and ensuring the right of return for Western Azerbaijanis is the only way to restore justice and establish lasting peace in the region.
"The support of the international community in this process is invaluable. Unfortunately, the Armenian government's lack of readiness for constructive dialog complicates this issue. Nevertheless, we are determined to continue our work based on the principles of peace and dialog.
Despite having one of the highest rates of refugees and IDPs in the world, Azerbaijan has always followed its humanitarian values and helped solve resettlement issues in world migration through humanitarian initiatives.
I would like to note that our community does not stand aside from these processes, and at the beginning of this year we made a financial contribution to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees through donations from our members.
We are confident that ensuring the right to return, enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is not only a basic condition for the protection of human rights but also the most effective way to promote coexistence between peoples and a sustainable solution to the problem of resettlement. Therefore, we will continue our efforts in raising awareness, supporting scientific research and policy initiatives, and promoting the right to return by holding such events regularly," he added.
Baku hosts the Second International Conference of the Western Azerbaijan Community on "The Right to Return: Advancing Justice for Azerbaijanis Expelled from Armenia."
More than 100 delegates from 51 countries are participating in the conference.
The event will discuss the history of the forced eviction of Western Azerbaijanis from Armenia, the basis of their right of return, the restoration of cultural heritage, and diplomatic efforts in this field.
To note, December 5 is the Day of Remembrance of the Deportation of Western Azerbaijanis from 1987 to 1991. On this day last year, more than 100 representatives from 44 countries attended a similar international conference on "Ensuring Safe and Dignified Return of Displaced Azerbaijanis from Armenia: Global Context and Just Solution".
