Western Azerbaijan Community condemns US vice-president for ignoring right of return

The Western Azerbaijan Community has issued a statement condemning US Vice President Kamala Harris for ignoring the right of return of Western Azerbaijan natives.

The statement comes in response to Harris' address to the Armenian community in the United States, in which the politician referred to the right of return of Armenians of “Nagorno-Karabakh,” Caliber.Az reports.

“First of all, let us note that there is no region called 'Nagorno-Karabakh' in Azerbaijan. The use of this term associated with separatism and occupation is disrespectful to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan,” the statement reads.

In addition, the community called the US Vice President's reference to the right of return only for ethnic Armenians discriminatory.

“The right of Azerbaijanis expelled from West Azerbaijan to return to their homes is a prerequisite for justice and lasting peace. The Vice President's disregard for the right of return of Western Azerbaijanis is not conducive to peace and is wrong,” the statement says.

The community urged Vice President Harris “to respect the right of Western Azerbaijanis to return to their homes in safety and dignity and not to discriminate on ethnic or religious grounds on the issue of the right of return.”

By Khagan Isayev