With its statement of March 18, 2023, the Armenian Foreign Ministry once again tried to undermine the right to return of the Azerbaijanis expelled from this country, Ednews reports citing the statement of the Community of Western Azerbaijan (historical lands of Azerbaijan located in modern-day Armenia’s territory).
"First and foremost, we would like to note that the issue of Western Azerbaijan, which is solely a matter of human rights, was placed on the agenda as a result of the Armenian government's ethnic cleansing policy and its refusal to eliminate the consequences of that policy. Our organization was founded in 1989, and we have been fighting for our right to return ever since," said the statement.
According to the Community, it is well known that Armenia is experiencing a monoethnic situation. Armenians, who until recently were a minority in this territory, now make up more than 99 percent of the population there. This situation arose as a result of the infamous ethnic cleansing.
It is noted in the statement that granting a certain number of quota seats in the parliament to the small number of remaining ethnic minorities in Armenia is an unsuccessful attempt to cover up ethnic cleansing and ongoing racial discrimination.
"We stress once again that we are lawful inhabitants of the territory called Armenia and we have the absolute right to return to our homes. Regardless of the nature of its relations with Azerbaijan, Armenia must unconditionally create conditions for the return of residents expelled from its territory," said the statement.
The Community urges the Armenian government to put an end to its policy of illegal settlement of the territories where Azerbaijanis lived, to the destruction of Azerbaijani cultural heritage, and to eliminate this lawlessness.
"We once again call on the Armenian government to create conditions for the peaceful, safe, and dignified return of the Azerbaijanis who are lawful inhabitant of that territory and who were expelled from there, within the verification and guarantee mechanisms and a legally binding international agreement, and for this, to respond to our request for dialogue," the Community said.
"Finally, we would like to emphasize once again that our demand for a peaceful return to our homes cannot be misinterpreted or presented as a demand that harms Armenia's territorial integrity or sovereignty," the statement concluded.
