BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov. 19
Trend:
During an inaugural visit to Los Angeles, a delegation of the Azerbaijani Community of Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region met with the leadership and members of the American Jewish Committee (AJC-Los Angeles) Nov. 15, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijan’s Consulate General in Los Angeles.
Opening the meeting, Regional President of AJC-Los Angeles Scott Edelman greeted the delegation and informed them about the organization, which is the oldest Jewish advocacy organization in the US established in 1906.
“AJC is working to build a safer, more secure future not only for the Jewish people, but for all people,” Edelman said.
Azerbaijan’s Consul General in Los Angeles Nasimi Aghayev spoke on the historic friendship and partnership between Azerbaijan and AJC.
Informing the audience about the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Aghayev mentioned that as a result of the illegal military occupation and ethnic cleansing of around 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s sovereign territory by Armenia, over 800,000 Azerbaijani civilians were expelled from their ancestral lands in the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
In his speech, Head of the Azerbaijani Community of Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region Tural Ganjaliyev spoke about the grave humanitarian consequences of the occupation and ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijan’s lands.
Ganjaliyev also highlighted the vicious cultural cleansing carried out by Armenia against Azerbaijani heritage in the occupied Azerbaijani territories.
“We were deeply moved by the courage of the survivors in sharing their stories,” Regional Director of AJC-Los Angeles Richard Hirschhaut said.
On the same day, the delegation of the Azerbaijani Community of Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region met with Rabbi David Wolpe of Sinai Temple, one of the most influential synagogues in the US.
At the meeting, the delegation members informed the Sinai Temple leadership about Armenia’s aggression, devastating results of the occupation, displacement of innocent Azerbaijani civilians from their ancestral lands, as well as about the destruction of Azerbaijani historical, religious and cultural monuments by Armenia in the occupied territories.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.