Azernews.Az

Prolonged and unresolved conflicts tend to provide fertile ground for violent extremism, Elmar Mammadyarov, Azerbaijani foreign minister said.

Mammadyarov was addressing the 7th UNAOC Global Forum in Baku April 26.

The minister stressed that Azerbaijan suffered from the metamorphosis and symbiosis of ethnic separatism, foreign intervention, violent extremism and terrorism.

"Prolonged and unresolved conflicts tend to provide fertile ground for violent extremism, not only because of the suffering and lack of governance resulting from the conflict itself but also because such conflicts allow violent extremist groups to exploit deep-rooted grievances in order to garner support and seize territory and resources and control populations," the minister said.

"Had the international community been listening to us then, sticking to universal norms and principles, and taking bold steps to stop violent extremism and all of its manifestations and consequences, we could have been in a much better place today to stumble a domino effect and tackle this phenomenon," the minister said.

"Still, it is never too late and I have some ideas to share for our common strategy," the minister added.

"UN should be in a lead as the only universal organization," the minister said. "This is the way for other international organizations and formats to act and interact with each other."
"The sustainable development should become our priority," the minister said.

The minister added that Azerbaijan, as a country suffering from terrorism more than twenty years, is actively combating it.

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