The HayaQve national civic association has submitted three separate appeals to international partners, raising issues concerning Armenian heritage in Artsakh and the rights of its displaced population.
The appeals concerned a diplomatic visit organized in September to territories of Artsakh at the initiative of Hikmet Hajiyev, assistant to the president of Azerbaijan responsible for foreign policy affairs.
The appeals were addressed to EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Magdalena Grono; Maria Victoria Romero Caballero, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Mexican States to the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Mexico’s Foreign Ministry; as well as the department responsible for Azerbaijan at Iran’s Foreign Ministry.
In all three appeals, Hayakve highlighted the same central concern: visits organized at Hikmet Hajiyev’s initiative should not become a tool for international legitimization of what the association describes as anti-Armenian realities created by Azerbaijan in Artsakh, false attribution of Armenian cultural heritage and disregard for the rights of Artsakh’s displaced Armenian population.
“We expect international partners to clearly distinguish normal diplomatic, economic and regional cooperation with Azerbaijan from legitimizing the policy of spiritual and cultural distortion being pursued in Artsakh; to express a clear position regarding the preservation and identity of Artsakh’s Armenian historical, cultural and spiritual heritage; to support unhindered access to Artsakh for an independent international mission, including UNESCO, to assess and document the state of Armenian heritage; and to defend on international platforms the right of Artsakh’s forcibly displaced Armenian population to a safe, dignified and unconditional return.
“Hayakve will continue to consistently raise these issues with international partners and relevant institutions, regardless of the format in which such initiatives are organized,” the statement said.
