POLITICS
Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh sends letter of protest to leadership of University of Lille
Baku, October 30, AZERTAC
The Azerbaijani Community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan has sent a letter of protest to the leadership of the French University of Lille. The letter was written as a protest against the visit of a group of teachers and professors of the University to the occupied Azerbaijani territories. The trip was organized by “Free homeland” party founded by the so-called regime in Nagorno-Karabakh.
According to the Armenian media, the delegation was included scientists from various fields. During the illegal visit, the staff of the University of Lille visited “Shusha University of Technology” and voiced views regarding the future “relations”.
“The Azerbaijan Community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan considers the illegal visit of teachers and professors of the University of Lille, having ancient traditions, to the occupied Azerbaijani territories as serious irresponsibility and disrespect to international law. The “visit” also considerably damages the image of the university, which has contributed to electronics and nanotechnologies fields with scientific discoveries, in the world. How it can be possible that the teacher and professor staff of such university is unaware of the territories they visit? I wonder if these people have ever tried to get information on the history of Nagorno-Karabakh and how Armenia occupied these lands. Main point is that whether teachers and professors of the University of Lille are aware of France’s position on the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh’s being an inseparable part of Azerbaijan. If they are unaware of the issue, it is really very disgraceful for these scientists. If professors of the University of Lille illegally visit Nagorno-Karabakh while they know France’s position, it also means disrespect to the official position of France.
On the other hand, France as a co-chair country of the OSCE Minsk Group carries out a mediation mission between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In this case, the illegal visit of professors and teachers of the University of Lille also calls into question the country's neutral mediator's reputation in the negotiations.
We - the Azerbaijani Community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region also convey our objection to the leadership of the French University of Lille. We believe that the administration of this university will take serious measures regarding this illegal visit and to prevent the repetition of such cases, which are considered as an insult to the natural human rights of Azerbaijani citizens expelled from the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan,” the letter says.