BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 16. The Armenian government supports actions aimed at increasing the feeling of hatred towards Azerbaijan, the statement of the State Committee for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons of the Republic of Azerbaijan in connection with the burning of the Azerbaijani flag at the European Weightlifting Championships in Armenia says, Trend reports.
The statement says that Azerbaijanophobia has intensified in Armenia in recent days, which by all means impedes the establishment of peace and tranquility in the South Caucasus. On live broadcast of the opening ceremony of the next European Weightlifting Championship in Yerevan, in the eyes of the international community, one of the Armenian residents defiantly burned the Azerbaijani flag. The State Committee, on behalf of almost a million Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced persons who were forced to leave their native lands as a result of Armenia's policy of deportation and occupation, strongly condemns this action.
"After Azerbaijan, on its own, put an end to the 30-year occupation of Armenia, it demonstrates the political will and determination to normalize bilateral relations as the initiator of peacebuilding in the region. However, the government of Armenia is not only trying to slow down this process under various pretexts, moreover, it ideologically supports actions aimed at further strengthening the feeling of hatred towards our country and our people in society, and does not want to hinder such actions.
At a time when the Azerbaijani government is taking the necessary measures to restore and reconstruct the territories liberated from occupation, the return of the original inhabitants of these territories, the reintegration of the Armenian community of Karabakh, the continuation of the policy of interethnic hatred and discrimination in Armenia call into question the process of peacebuilding in the region, which the international community waiting with great interest.
Despite the good intentions of the Azerbaijani government and the public regarding the possibility of the coexistence of Azerbaijanis and Armenians, the fact that the revanchist forces in Armenia do not stop provocations and hostility indicates that they do not want to allow this intention to be realized under any circumstances.
It is a historical fact that Armenia supports terrorism and terrorists, and it is doubtful that it can safely host any international events, including sports competitions, on its territory. The burning of the Azerbaijani flag and the praise of this heinous act as the heroism of the person who committed this provocation clearly show this.
Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced persons call on the international community to demand an end to the acts that generate national hatred and discrimination in Armenia, and to demand, on the basis of existing legal norms, the punishment of the person who burned the Azerbaijani flag.
In addition, international sports organizations should refuse to host any prestigious competitions in Armenia, as well as suspend the European Weightlifting Championship in Yerevan and annul its results.
The Azerbaijanis, who are preparing to return to their homeland, to the liberated Eastern Zangezur and Karabakh, hope that peace and security in the region will be fully ensured, and Armenia’s attempts to disrupt this process will be resolutely suppressed by the international community," the statement says.