Armenia's report in UN raises questions due to claims against Azerbaijan VIDEO

Armenia's periodic report is being reviewed during the 114th session of the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

On December 2, the first day of the review, Committee member Chinsung Chung expressed surprise at the significant number of claims against Azerbaijan contained in Armenia's report. She pointed out that, despite there being no Azerbaijanis living in Armenia, the report focuses heavily on Azerbaijan and requested clarification on this issue, Caliber.Az reports via local media. 

Head of the Armenian delegation, Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan, struggled to respond to the question but confirmed that no Azerbaijanis reside in Armenia. He attempted to link the references to Azerbaijan in the document to the issues of security and the political situation, which he argued were not directly related to the essence of the report.

Moreover, during the 114th session of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on December 2, the Committee's rapporteur for Armenia reported that the Committee had received information about the erection of statues in Armenia honouring individuals such as Garegin Nzhdeh, who collaborated with the fascist regime and committed crimes against humanity. 

He specifically requested information on how the Armenian school curriculum addresses all aspects of history and promotes the creation of a tolerant, non-discriminatory environment. 

Kostanyan, who in his speech tried to present his country as one of tolerance, faced difficulty when addressing the issue and was forced to announce a review of the school curriculum. Kostanyan even refrained from naming Garegin Nzhdeh and was unable to deny that Nzhdeh was a fascist.

He stated that Nzhdeh was an important historical figure for Armenia and the Armenian people in the early 20th century, but not later. Unsatisfied with this response, the rapporteur emphasised that the recent ceremonies surrounding such a statue indicate that this figure remains relevant to society today.

By Naila Huseynova