Western Azerbaijan Community demands US end ethnic and religious discrimination

The Western Azerbaijan Community has issued a strong demand for the United States government to cease ethnic and religious discrimination and to respect the right of return for Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia.

This demand was articulated in response to a recent speech by Yuri Kim, the US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Community's statement. 

The statement came in reaction to Kim's remarks at the event "The Role of the United States in the New Regional Arrangement in the South Caucasus," organized by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

The community criticised Kim for her perceived bias in discussing regional issues.

"Yuri Kim in her speech demonstrated discrimination against Azerbaijanis," the community's statement read.

"She spoke about the right of return of Armenians who voluntarily resettled from the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan but did not say a word about the right of return of Azerbaijanis forcibly expelled from Armenia. This is discrimination on ethnic and religious grounds."

The statement further emphasized that this stance by the US official contradicts the principle of equality of people and hinders peace in the region.

The Western Azerbaijan Community insists that addressing the rights of all displaced persons equally is crucial for achieving lasting peace and stability in the South Caucasus.