On February 24, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Elnur Mammadov, delivered a statement at the High-Level Segment of the 56th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, AzVision.az reports citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In his speech, Elnur Mammadov also addressed the claims raised by the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The Deputy Minister emphasized that over the past year, Azerbaijan and Armenia have made significant progress in the normalization process through direct bilateral discussions, particularly concerning the preparation of a bilateral peace agreement, as well as the delimitation and demarcation of the state border. "At this stage, we expect Armenia to remove a major obstacle in the normalization process by legally renouncing its territorial claims against Azerbaijan through constitutional amendments," he stated.
According to Elnur Mammadov, post-conflict rehabilitation necessitates addressing all adverse consequences of the conflict, which includes ensuring that individuals suspected of committing crimes are brought to justice. "This is not only Azerbaijan’s right but also its obligation under international law to hold those suspected of war crimes accountable. We have ensured that all procedural rights of the accused are upheld in full compliance with international standards, and we will continue to do so. These efforts serve the cause of justice," he added.
Mammadov further highlighted the importance of clarifying the fate of nearly 4,000 Azerbaijani citizens who went missing during the conflict and alleviating the ongoing suffering of their families. "We call upon the relevant UN bodies and mechanisms to prioritize this issue on their agenda and to demand full cooperation from Armenia in establishing the whereabouts of these individuals," he urged.
The Deputy Minister also underlined another critical issue: ensuring the safe and dignified return of more than 250,000 Azerbaijanis who were forcibly expelled from Armenia in the early years of the conflict. "They were deprived of their ancestral homes in a blatant violation of international human rights law. The Western Azerbaijan Community, which once constituted the largest national minority in Armenia, continues to have its calls for dialogue regarding their peaceful return ignored. These efforts are deliberately misrepresented by the Armenian government as territorial claims by Azerbaijan. This is a matter of serious concern that should be duly examined by the relevant UN mechanisms," he stated.
It is worth noting that Azerbaijan is engaged in extensive post-conflict reconstruction efforts to restore the rights of hundreds of thousands of internally displaced Azerbaijanis who have the legitimate right to return safely and with dignity to their former homes in the liberated territories. Azerbaijan has developed and implemented the "Great Return" program, as a result of which several hundred families have already returned to their native lands.
Additionally, Mammadov pointed out that the extensive contamination of Azerbaijan’s territories with landmines and other explosive devices remains a significant obstacle to the success of reconstruction efforts. "Since the end of the conflict in 2020, nearly 400 Azerbaijanis, including civilians, have fallen victim to landmines. We reiterate our call for increased international support for humanitarian demining activities, the mitigation of landmine threats to human rights, and assistance in the rehabilitation of landmine victims," he concluded.
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