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Tural Ganjaliyev: "Armenia cannot digest position of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno Garabagh"

16 December 2019 17:10 (UTC +04:00)

"Representatives of the Armenian government in recent days have voiced unsubstantiated statements that as if Azerbaijanis have never lived in Nagorno Garabagh, an integral part of Azerbaijan and both communities have never existed in the region. Armenia, occupying Azerbaijani lands, committing genocide of Khojaly, destroying cultural, religious and historical monuments belonging to our people in the occupied territories, pursues a policy of discrimination (apartheid) and this is a manifestation of the ideology that the country has pursued for years," said Tural Ganjaliyev, chairman of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno Garabagh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan, APA reports.

Mr Ganjaliyev emphasized that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs paid two visits to the region this year and held meetings with the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno Garabagh. "Following the meetings, the Co-Chairs' statements once more highlighted the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno Garabagh as an equal interested party as the Armenian community. And this is not a new idea and it is a reminder to Armenia of the fact that has existed since 1992. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he supported inter-community dialogue during his recent visit to Azerbaijan. Namely, after these developments that Armenia fails to digest the position of the "Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno Garabagh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan". Armenia denies the existence of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno Garabagh."

Firstly, as it has been mentioned above, elected and other representatives of Nagorno Garabagh region of Azerbaijan, reflected in the document of OSCE’s Helsinsk Cabinet of Ministers on March 24, 1992, considers both Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of Nagorno Garabagh region of Azerbaijan and they are noted as an interested party. Nagorno Garabagh is not cited as a separate part in this document.

Secondly, on December 1, 1989, after Supreme Soviet of Armenian SSR adopted an illegal decision about the unification of Armenian SSR and Nagorno Garabagh, on January 10, 1990, Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR ended to Armenia's illegal territorial claims to Nagorno Garabagh by noting that the “decisions” of Supreme Soviet of Armenian SSR about Nagorno Garabagh did not comply with the Constitution of the USSR.

Thirdly, the UN, other international organizations, world community recognize Nagorno Garabagh as an integral part of Azerbaijan. I advise to Armenian side to learn the statements of co-chairs of OSCE Minsk group and relevant documents.”

T. Ganjaliyev noted that if Armenian government ends occupation policy against Azerbaijan, does not deny the existence of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis expelled from Azerbaijan’s Nagorno Garabagh and other occupied territories, does not impede the peaceful co-existence of two communities as an equal rights communities within the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan, the settlement of the conflict may be possible.