BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 9. The Western Azerbaijan Community has responded to remarks made by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in his recent press statement regarding the issue of West Azerbaijan and the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, Trend reports.
“We reiterate that the issue of Western Azerbaijan is not a territorial matter but a matter of human rights. We have repeatedly expressed our respect for Armenia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Regarding the term ‘Western Azerbaijan’, we stress that it is based on historical facts, and we use it within the framework of the right to self-identification. The Armenian government should present its stance on the substance of the issue, rather than engaging in debate about its geographical and historical content.
Nikol Pashinyan's condition that interstate dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan regarding the return of Western Azerbaijanis should only take place after a peace treaty is signed is misguided. The responsibility for creating conditions for the return of Western Azerbaijanis lies with Armenia, as stipulated by international law and human rights.
Regardless of its bilateral relations with the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Armenia must create unconditional conditions for the return of Western Azerbaijanis, who are the rightful citizens of the country now called Armenia. Delaying dialogue on the return until after a peace agreement, or linking it to interstate dialogue, contradicts human rights and impedes peace. We emphasize that the primary platform for this dialogue should be between the Government of Armenia and the Western Azerbaijan Community.
We urge Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to make genuine efforts to establish peace and cooperation in the region, create conditions for the return of Western Azerbaijanis, and initiate dialogue with our community for this purpose,” the statement said.