On April 11, a group of women from Western Azerbaijan sent an appeal to Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, in which they informed her of the ethnic cleansing and other crimes against humanity, and requested practical support from the European Commission for the safe and dignified return of Azerbaijanis to their homes while taking into account the specific needs of women and children.

The author and host of the analytical program CBC WEEKLY TALK Anastasia Lavrina discussed this topic with the Irish historian Patrick Walsh, who supported the right of the Western Azerbaijan Community to return to their historical lands, News.Az reports.

“It is very important to hear about this issue because the Armenian narrative dominates in many Western countries. We do not hear about the suffering, the ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijanis and other groups.” 

Answering the question of the journalist about the return of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia to their homes as a necessary condition for peace, the historian said that this is the right of the people to go back to where they originally lived, where there are their historic cultural areas. “It is a good test whether peace settlement is really being implemented and is being successful and sustainable. If we don’t have people’s right to return to their original homeland, obviously, peace is fragile and it is not a complete peace. I think everybody who either left because of fear or were forced to leave their original homes they should return and live in those societies again. It is a test of change relationship, tolerance and different atmosphere,” said Patrick Walsh.

The expert also agreed with the journalist that this situation is very dangerous for Armenia itself. “If you have a mono-ethnic society you have a very narrow vision of the world. You tend to have a racist viewpoint of the world. All of these things are unacceptable in today’s society, especially in the West. It will be an advantage for Armenia to diversify its society,” Patrick Walsh concluded.

News.Az