Baku: President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has called on Armenia to engage in meaningful negotiations with the Western Azerbaijan Community to restore the fundamental rights of Western Azerbaijanis. He emphasized the need for Armenia to commence talks and take concrete actions to address the longstanding issues faced by this community. Furthermore, President Aliyev highlighted the importance of allowing a UNESCO fact-finding mission to assess the situation concerning the destruction and distortion of Azerbaijani historical and cultural heritage, urging cooperation in this regard.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, President Aliyev conveyed these points in a letter addressed to the participants of the Second International Conference on ‘The Right to Return: Advancing Justice for Azerbaijanis Expelled from Armenia.’ He stressed the significance of international support for the peaceful initiatives of the Western Azerbaijan Community, in line with international law, to ensure their right to return to their
ancestral lands. The President expressed that the successful execution of the Concept of Return would greatly aid the peaceful, safe, and dignified return of Western Azerbaijanis.

Furthermore, President Aliyev extended his best wishes for the success of the conference, which focuses on advocating for the rights of thousands of Western Azerbaijani individuals who were forcibly displaced from their native lands and are now residing in Azerbaijan and various countries worldwide. He expressed confidence that this international conference would serve as a crucial platform for dialogue and exchange of views on the right of return and the global issue of displacement, communicating the realities of the deportations endured by the Azerbaijani people to the international community.