Azernews.Az

The Western Azerbaijan Community strongly condemns Toivo Klaar's discriminatory statements against Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia, his interference in Azerbaijan's internal affairs, and his remarks that escalate regional tensions, Azernews reports via the community's statement.

"On August 4, 2024, Designated European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar, made statements that the Western Azerbaijan Community views as interference in Azerbaijan's internal affairs and discriminatory against Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia.

Klaar's comments on resettlement and the right of return were seen as biased, as he extended this right solely to Armenians who left Azerbaijan voluntarily while denying it to Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia. Additionally, he described the resettlement of Armenians from the Karabakh region as a "special case", which the community perceives as an unjust ethnic-based assertion of authority.

Klaar's attitude towards Azerbaijanis forcibly expelled from Armenia reveals ethnic and religious discrimination. His focus on the "Karabakh Armenians" suggests an inability of the EU to accept the settlement of the conflict and the restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. This, combined with the EU's military aid to Armenia, its tolerance of "sanctions smuggling" by Armenia, and arms sales to Armenia by EU member states like France, contributes to regional tension.

The Western Azerbaijan Community calls on the EU to uphold human rights equality as per Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to cease discrimination against expelled Azerbaijanis, and to respect their right to return," the community's statement reads.

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