Western Azerbaijan Community calls on Armenians to reject "illusions and revanchism"

The Western Azerbaijan Community has criticised an appeal by Armenian civil society representatives to diplomatic missions and international organisations, saying it echoed rhetoric and narratives from before 2020.

According to Caliber.Az, the community said terms including “occupation”, “genocide”, “ethnic cleansing”, “use of force” and the “destruction and falsification of historical and cultural heritage” had been part of Armenia’s state policy towards Azerbaijan for 30 years.

The community said the consequences of the conflict remained, including widespread destruction, the threat posed by landmines and the issue of missing persons.

It also accused Armenia of blaming Azerbaijan while denying state responsibility for what it described as crimes committed during the conflict.

The statement said the Western Azerbaijanis would not forget historical and cultural heritage that it claimed had been destroyed or falsified, citing the Blue Mosque, Sardar Palace, the grave of Dada Alasgar and Albanian-Christian heritage.

The community called on Armenia’s authorities to prepare society for peace and prevent statements and actions that could hinder the normalisation of relations.

“We call on the Armenian public to abandon illusions and revanchism,” it said.

By Aghakazim Guliyev