© Photo: Marina Lagutina / Vestnik Kavkaza
Baku is hosting the 2nd international conference of the Western Azerbaijan Community titled "The Right to Return: Advancing Justice for Azerbaijanis Expelled from Armenia".
December 5 is designated as the Day of Remembrance for the Deportation of Western Azerbaijanis from 1987 to 1991.
According to Vestnik Kavkaza correspondent Marina Lagutina, over 100 representatives from 51 nations are participating in the conference.
The event will address the historical context of the coerced displacement of Western Azerbaijanis from Armenia, the foundation of their right to return, the preservation of cultural legacy, and diplomatic initiatives in this domain.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has sent an address to the participants of the conference. The Azerbaijani leader stressed that Armenia consistently denies the centuries-long presence of the Azerbaijani people on their ancestral lands and their creation of a rich cultural heritage.
© Photo: Marina Lagutina / Vestnik Kavkaza
The head of state added that the Western Azerbaijan Community has repeatedly called on the Armenian government to engage in dialogue, but the Armenian side has always turned down these initiatives
"Armenia has to embark on negotiations with the Community and take tangible steps to restore the fundamental rights of Western Azerbaijanis. In addition, Armenia has to allow a UNESCO fact-finding mission to monitor the situation regarding the destruction and distortion of the historical and cultural heritage of the Azerbaijani people and be open to cooperation in this area," Ilham Aliyev said.
Türkiye's former Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu addressed the participants of the event.
Çavuşoğlu also pointed out that the restoration of Azerbaijan's cultural heritage, destroyed in Armenia, is of great importance. He stressed that it's regrettable that Armenia does not allow a UNESCO mission to Western Azerbaijan.
