FM: Armenia withheld information about mass graves in Azerbaijani lands
By Sabina Mammadli
Baku has said that Armenia withheld information about mass graves on the Azerbaijani territories it previously occupied until their liberation in the 2020 second Karabakh war.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov made the remarks at a conference on the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) model simulation held at ADA University in Baku.
He said that the mass graves were discovered in the liberated lands.
"Azerbaijan discovered mass burials on the liberated territories, so the assertions of the Armenian side that it has no information about these burials are unacceptable. The statements of the Armenian side on this issue are unfounded, and we are sure that the international community will not accept them," the minister said.
UNESCO mission visit to Karabakh
During the conference, Bayramov stated that Armenia had for decades refused to allow UNESCO representatives to visit Azerbaijan's Karabakh region.
He emphasized that following the second Karabakh war, Azerbaijan and UNESCO began to work together on the issue of conducting research in Karabakh.
"We invited the UNESCO mission back in June and are expecting it to visit. We do not set any restrictions for it," added the minister.
He added that UNESCO can explore both Muslim and Christian monuments.
Bayramov said that Azerbaijan appealed to UNESCO in June, regarding the sending of a mission to the country.
Earlier, Azerbaijan's Culture Ministry expressed hope that the UNESCO mission's work would be significant in terms of detailed study, monitoring, and documentation of the Azerbaijani people's heritage on Armenian territory.
On February 4, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, French President Emmanuel Macron, European Council President Charles Michel, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a videoconference meeting. During the meeting, an agreement was reached to send a UNESCO mission to Azerbaijan and Armenia.
NAM Youth Network
Speaking of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) initiatives, Bayramov emphasized Azerbaijan's special attention to them and noted the initiatives proposed by the country were adopted in accordance with the principles of this organization.
The foreign minister also mentioned that the NAM Youth Network, which has been involved in the organization's activities since its inception, plans to hold several events in 2022.
“During the celebration of NAM’s 60th anniversary in Belgrade, the Youth Network of NAM put forward a number of proposals,” the Azerbaijani minister added.
Youth Federation President Farid Jafarov and ADA University Vice-Rector Fariz Ismayilzade delivered speeches at the conference's opening ceremony.
Azerbaijan became a member of the NAM in 2011. Azerbaijan was unanimously elected as the NAM's chair for the period 2019-2022 by the NAM leaders in 2016.
In 2021, NAM member countries voted unanimously to extend Azerbaijan's chairmanship for another year, until late 2023.
The NAM was formed in 1961 to defend the interests of developing countries during Cold War During the first three decades after its establishment, NAM was instrumental in promoting decolonization, the formation of new independent countries, and the democratization of international relations.
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