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Laman Ismayilova

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As a UNESCO member, Azerbaijan has been actively engaged in promoting cultural diversity and heritage preservation.

The country has been constantly participating in UNESCO programs since 1992.

Through its efforts, Azerbaijan plays a significant role in UNESCO's mission to build peace, foster sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information.

In 2003, the parties signed a framework agreement on cooperation in the areas of culture, science, education, and communication, which allowed Azerbaijan to become one of the donors of UNESCO.

At the 217th UNESCO session, Azerbaijan has made a significant statement, reaffirming its contribution to the global agenda of peace, security and sustainable development.

"Azerbaijan attaches great importance to following the priorities and effective implementation of UNESCO programs. Our country is committed to working with UNESCO and its member states in an open, transparent and inclusive manner. Azerbaijan actively supports the organization's initiatives in the field of intercultural dialogue, as well as the fight against racism and discrimination, and consistently encourages dialogue between cultures and religions through such global initiatives as the Baku Process and Peace4Culture campaign."

These remarks are contained in Azerbaijan's statement read out by Permanent Delegate of Azerbaijan to UNESCO Elman Abdullayev, Azernews reports.

It was brought to attention that Azerbaijan continues to contribute to the global agenda of peace, security and sustainable development within its capabilities and as a chair of the Non-Aligned Movement.

However, the dangerous trends still observed in the region, such as manifestations of racism, discrimination and related intolerance, are cause for concern.

Over 30 years of military aggression, Armenia has completely destroyed, looted and vandalized the cultural heritage in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Cultural assets such as historical monuments, mosques, temples, mausoleums, museums, exhibits, art galleries, archaeological sites and libraries were most brutally looted and razed to the ground.

During the occupation, Azerbaijan's educational infrastructure was also seriously damaged. Armenia completely destroyed more than 2,000 educational institutions in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

Armenia also pursued a policy of systematic destruction, plunder and appropriation of the cultural heritage of Azerbaijan. In Armenia, traces of Azerbaijanis expelled from Erivan, West Zangazur, Vedi, Nuvedi, Goychaand many other historical lands, the lands of their great-grandfathers, were deliberately destroyed or erased.

The statement says that Armenian policy, which carried out ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijanis, also had a disastrous impact on Azerbaijan's intangible cultural heritage, which is an infringement of the cultural rights of all Azerbaijanis, as well as the right of every person to enjoy cultural heritage.

It is indicated that the appeals to the UNESCO Director General by the Azerbaijani government, a number of Azerbaijani NGOs and the Western Azerbaijan Community, who expressed deep concern about the destruction of Azerbaijani cultural heritage in Armenia, and the call to send a mission to Armenia to establish the facts and assess the state of affairs in this area are fair demand of the Azerbaijani people.

The document notes that in three years that have passed since the signing of the trilateral Statement in 2020, Armenia has deployed illegal armed groups numbering more than a thousand people on the territory of Azerbaijan.

In addition, Armenia used the Lachin road to incite separatism on Azerbaijan's sovereign territory.

In September 2023, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, responding to numerous provocations of illegal Armenian armed groups, carried out local anti-terrorist measures.

During the anti-terrorist measures, the necessary measures were taken to prevent damage to civilians and civilian infrastructure in full compliance with the norms of humanitarian law.

The statement says about the liquidation of the so-called "regime" and the disarmament of illegal armed groups.

It also touches upon the process of reintegration of local Armenian residents, the creation of a special electronic portal for this, the formation of a favorable atmosphere for dialogue, and Azerbaijan's plan to normalize relations with Armenia.

Attention is drawn to the fact that the report of the UN mission to Azerbaijan's Garabagh, in particular, to the city of Khankandi, indicates that no damage was caused to civilian infrastructure, cultural and religious sites, no violence was committed against civilians, Azerbaijan is preparing restore the provision of health care services and a number of public utilities in Khankandi.

At the same time, the statement especially emphasizes that Azerbaijan and Armenia have a historical opportunity to establish good neighborly relations and coexist in peaceful conditions as two sovereign states.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr

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