BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 5. A panel session titled "Role of International Advocacy and Diplomacy" was held as part of the Second International Conference of the Western Azerbaijan Community on "The Right to Return: Advancing Justice for Azerbaijanis Expelled from Armenia" in Baku, Trend reports.
The panel featured prominent figures, including Professor Susana Mangana from the University of Deusto, Vice-Chairman of the Justice and Development Party and member of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye Zafar Sirakaya; Senior Associate at the Institute for Development and International Relations Krševan Antun Dujmović; journalist Klaus Peter Ralph Jürgens; and Marat Terterov, the General Representative of the Brussels Energy Club.
Professor Susana Mangana pointed out that migration-related issues are among the major challenges currently facing the world. "International organizations must address these issues. The justice mechanism must rectify historical injustices. Scholars and civil society also play an important role in this process," she added.
Zafar Sirakaya, Vice-Chairman of Türkiye's Justice and Development Party, emphasized that as a result of Armenia's occupation of Karabakh, over one million Azerbaijanis became refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs).
"Azerbaijan itself restored its rights, liberated its lands from occupation, and ended the injustice. Thus, conditions for peace and stability were created in the region. The right of return is a principle fully recognized in international law," he stated.
Marat Terterov, General Representative of the Brussels Energy Club, noted that by liberating its lands from occupation, Azerbaijan had restored its rights. "This was an extraordinary achievement. Azerbaijan has many such high accomplishments. A good example is COP29," he remarked.
More than 100 delegates from 51 countries are participating in the conference.
The event will discuss the history of the forced eviction of Western Azerbaijanis from Armenia, the basis of their right of return, the restoration of cultural heritage, and diplomatic efforts in this field.
To note, December 5 is the Day of Remembrance of the Deportation of Western Azerbaijanis from 1987 through 1991. On this day last year, more than 100 representatives from 44 countries attended a similar international conference on "Ensuring Safe and Dignified Return of Displaced Azerbaijanis from Armenia: Global Context and Just Solution."
