To the participants of the third international conference on “Cultural Heritage and the Right of Return: Restoring the Cultural Heritage of Azerbaijanis Displaced from Armenia – as a Path to Justice, Reconciliation, and Peace”

Dear conference participants!

I warmly welcome you to the 3rd international conference on “Cultural Heritage and the Right of Return: Restoring the Cultural Heritage of Azerbaijanis Displaced from Armenia – as a Path to Justice, Reconciliation, and Peace.”

Possessing an ancient history of statehood and culture, the Azerbaijani people have repeatedly been subjected to deprivation, deportation, and genocide over the past two centuries. After the relocation of Armenians to the ancestral Azerbaijani lands, and in the aftermath of massacres and illegal resettlements committed against Azerbaijanis in 1905–1907, 1918–1921, 1948–1953, and 1987–1991, hundreds of thousands of our compatriots were forced to leave their homeland and seek refuge in Azerbaijan.

The forced deportation of Azerbaijanis from mountainous regions in the territory of Armenia to places with a warmer climate, the embezzlement of the property they had built and created over the years, and the seizure, destruction, and alienation of material and cultural artifacts are historical facts proven by reliable documents.

Time and time again, Armenia destroyed the rich material and intangible cultural heritage of the Azerbaijanis who lived in Western Azerbaijan, including their shrines and cemeteries, in an attempt to erase the traces of the Azerbaijani people from its territory. It is extremely important to take the necessary steps to assess, within an international legal framework, the crimes against humanity Armenia has committed against Azerbaijanis and to secure the support of the international community in this matter.

Today, it is essential to intensify efforts to ensure the return of Azerbaijanis forcibly expelled from Armenia within the framework of the right of return enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Status of Refugees, and other important international instruments. It is also important to initiate a process, with the participation of the international community - including specialized UN agencies - on the restoration and protection of cultural heritage. The right of return is one of the fundamental principles of human rights. Securing this right is not only about the physical return to one’s homeland; it is also about restoring the spiritual integrity, cultural heritage, and historical memory of society.

The restoration and protection of Azerbaijani cultural heritage in Armenia, in addition to being a legitimate demand of the Azerbaijani people, is necessary in the context of respect for universal human values, closing the page of hostility, and fostering mutual understanding between peoples.

The Western Azerbaijan Community, which includes individuals directly affected by deportations and massacres, should be commended for its discreet and constructive approach, openness to reconciliation and dialogue, adherence to international law, and respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states.

The fact that Azerbaijan and Armenia came together in Washington on August 8, 2025, with the mediation of the United States of America, the signing of the Joint Declaration, and the initialing of the draft peace agreement creates hope and confidence for the future coexistence of both peoples.

We believe that the peace-loving members of the Western Azerbaijan Community will return to their ancestral lands and that good-neighborly relations will be established between our peoples.

I wish every success to this traditional international conference, which has already evolved into a global platform. I reiterate my confidence that the discussions to be held will contribute to the protection of cultural heritage, the understanding of the right of return, and the safe, dignified, and peaceful return of our compatriots to their native lands, and will be an important step on the path to reconciliation and peace.

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 5 December 2025