BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 21. The Community of Western Azerbaijan (historical lands of Azerbaijan located in modern-day Armenia’s territory) urges the Armenian government to negotiate with the Community within the relevant international process so that the Azerbaijanis displaced from their homes could return to their homeland peacefully and safely, Trend reports citing the Community.
The Western Azerbaijan Community noted that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made a statement to mark the 35th anniversary of the beginning of the demonstrations in Azerbaijan’s Khankendi city on February 20, 1988, saying that the action allegedly began spontaneously, as well as tried to present it as a human rights issue.
"In fact, these demonstrations were part of a systematic conspiracy, serving plans for territorial claims against Azerbaijan and racial discrimination against Azerbaijanis. Prior to the demonstrations, Armenia had already made territorial claims to Azerbaijan and commenced a total ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijanis living in the Armenian SSR. Such processes served to create a mono-ethnic space and territorial expansion contrary to human rights and international law. With such a racist and aggressive approach, Armenia expelled Azerbaijanis from their territory and occupied the internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan. The successful completion of Azerbaijan's self-defense operation from the Armenian military attack in 2020 is an important step toward restoring justice and increases the chances for peace between the two countries," the Community said.
As noted, it's regrettable that the Armenian leadership on the anniversary of the infamous event, embodying territorial claims and ethnic cleansing, made the above statement.
"It’s hypocritical on the part of the Armenian government, which prohibits Azerbaijanis from returning to their homes, to speculate on the rights of Azerbaijani citizens of Armenian origin living in liberated Karabakh. The fact that Azerbaijanis displaced from modern-day Armenia’s territory still cannot return to their homes, and that the situation of mono-ethnic statehood, ethnic cleansing, and systematic racial discrimination continues in this country, is a great obstacle to the establishment of sustainable peace," the Community added.