Baku, October 4, AZERTAC

The Western Azerbaijan Community vehemently condemns the biased position of Toivo Klaar, the European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus, expressed in an interview with the Armenian media, especially his inept views such as “deployment of a long-term multinational or UN mission” in the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan, the Community said in a statement.

The statement says: “We demand that Toivo Klaar and other European Union officials not make ridiculous and hostile statements about the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan. Placing a mission in the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan is not within the authority and scope of Toivo Klaar or others. The European Union, which is a clear example of double standards, has no moral basis to lecture Azerbaijan. Toivo Klaar should provide recommendations to the institutions of the European Union on the placement of a long-term multinational or UN mission in the countries of the European Union where there are problems with ethnic minorities and mono-ethnic Armenia.

In his interview, Toivo Klaar, while emphasizing the importance of the return of the Armenian residents to Karabakh and the protection of their religious and cultural sites, remains tight-lipped to the return of Azerbaijanis to Armenia, to the protection of the cultural heritage of the Azerbaijani people in Armenia and to the detention of Khojaly executioners, which exposes his hypocritical nature.

We recall that the Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia have been waiting for returning to their homeland for more than 30 years. Despite our repeated appeals, the European Union has not publicly declared its position on this issue.

Toivo Klaar’s words that “for me, the Nagorno-Karabakh issue is not closed” are reminiscent of a similar recent statement made by Khojaly executioner Serzh Sargsyan. We bring to the attention of the European Union official that for Azerbaijan, which has restored its sovereignty, the Karabakh issue is closed, while the fact that this issue still remains open for others is only a product of their imagination.

Acting on the basis of ethnic and religious bigotry and Azerbaijanophobia should be shameful for the European Union.

We demand that the European Union end discrimination, respect the principle of equality of people in terms of their dignity and rights, support the safe and dignified return of Azerbaijanis forcibly expelled from Armenia within the framework of the international mechanism and under appropriate security guarantees.”