Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

The member of the Great Britain Parliament, MP for Harrow East, Bob Blackman, said that all the Armenian occupied lands should be returned to Azerbaijan.

"In a region of South Caucasus not known for its diversity and tolerance, Azerbaijan stands out in completely different position because of its encouragement of all religious faiths and ethnic minorities. This is a time in which Christians are under pressure in Egypt, while radical Islam is on the rise in Syria and much of the Middle East and North Africa," Blackmann said replying to a survey from The European Azerbaijan Society (TEAS)

According to Blackman, despite the occupation by Armenia, a Christian country, of nearly 20 per cent of Azerbaijani territories, Azerbaijan's Christian and Jewish minorities are flourishing.

"And the country is staunchly secular in its outlook. This is something that should be recognised and applauded. What is more, the international community should do more to make sure that international law is upheld and Azerbaijan's lands are returned to it. Azerbaijan has clearly demonstrated that all religions are not only just tolerated but also encouraged, and therefore the occupied lands can safely be returned to Azerbaijani control. Azerbaijan is a tolerant country and all occupied lands should be returned to it," Blackman said.

Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor that had caused a lengthy war in the early 1990s.

The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenia's withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but they have not been enforced to this day.