Moscow conveys its readiness to facilitate Baku-Yerevan dialogue on humanitarian issues

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova has said that Moscow is ready to facilitate dialogue between Baku and Yerevan on humanitarian issues.

She made the remarks when answering a question by an Armenian journalist about the Azerbaijani president's call on Armenia to start negotiations with representatives of the Western Azerbaijan Community, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

Zakharova noted that one of the elements of the trilateral agreements is the discussion of the humanitarian bloc: “It includes such issues as respect for the rights of former refugees, protection of monuments of cultural and religious heritage, search for missing persons and exchange of prisoners of war.”

“We have repeatedly emphasized the importance of resuming the dialogue between Baku and Yerevan on the whole range of humanitarian issues, both on official and public lines. If the sides want to use our capabilities, we are ready to help from our side,” the Russian diplomat added.

Recall that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has recently urged Armenia to initiate negotiations with the Western Azerbaijan Community to address the rights of Azerbaijanis displaced from Armenia. In his address to the II International Conference of the Western Azerbaijan Community on December 5, 2024, Aliyev emphasized that the Community has repeatedly sought dialogue with the Armenian government, but these initiatives have been declined. Aliyev stated, "Armenia has to embark on negotiations with the Community and take tangible steps to restore the fundamental rights of Western Azerbaijanis."

The president also called on Armenia to allow a UNESCO mission to assess the condition of Azerbaijani cultural heritage sites in Armenia. “Armenia has to allow a UNESCO fact-finding mission to monitor the situation regarding the destruction and distortion of the historical and cultural heritage of the Azerbaijani people and be open to cooperation in this area,” Aliyev urged.

The term "Western Azerbaijan" refers to territories within present-day Armenia that were historically inhabited by Azerbaijanis. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and subsequent conflicts, many Azerbaijanis were displaced from these areas. The Western Azerbaijan Community represents these displaced individuals and their descendants, advocating for their rights and return.

By Khagan Isayev