Azerbaijani NGOs make appeal to Marco Rubio

Azerbaijani non-governmental organizations have made an appeal to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

 1news.media presents the appeal:

“Dear U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio,

The hypocrisy displayed by a group of U.S. congressmen in their letter regarding Azerbaijan’s sovereign territories and their actions against the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia has caused deep outrage among the Azerbaijani public. We reject such one-sided approaches.

We believe that pro-Armenian figures of the Biden-Blinken era have, in fact, openly sabotaged U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace efforts in the South Caucasus.

Recently, the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia held a meeting in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It has been reported that the text of the peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia has already been agreed upon. Serious and difficult work is underway to advance the peace process. The calls made by a group of U.S. congressmen are nothing but an attempt to hinder and obstruct this process. They are doing everything possible to artificially create tension and spark a new conflict in the region.

It is regrettable that individuals who have no connection to the region and are uninformed about the issues are signing irresponsible statements in exchange for financial incentives from the Armenian lobby in the United States. The Azerbaijani public knows these individuals well. They remained silent in the face of Armenia’s occupation of Azerbaijani lands, the shedding of innocent blood, and the Khojaly genocide — always siding with the aggressor. Today, they are going to great lengths to prevent the prosecution of war criminals responsible for spilling the blood of the Azerbaijani people. These congressmen have no credibility or influence in Azerbaijan.

We would like to remind you that former Senator Bob Menendez, who previously promoted similar anti-Azerbaijani and pro-Armenian initiatives and was a fierce critic of President Trump, has been convicted of corruption and bribery. One of the initiators of the recent appeal, Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, has also harshly criticized Mr. Trump and insisted on the need to bring him to criminal liability.

Last year, during the COP29 event, Congressman Frank Pallone, who visited Baku, was met by local civil society activists with chants of “Get out!” He was forced to cut his visit short and left the country in disgrace.

We believe that congressmen like Frank Pallone — who today speak about the return of Armenians to Azerbaijan’s sovereign territories — must first acknowledge the right of return for the hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia. Those displaced from Western Azerbaijan must be able to return peacefully to their ancestral homes. The Western Azerbaijan Community has also expressed readiness to engage in dialogue with Armenia in this regard.

During the occupation, Azerbaijan’s tangible and cultural heritage in Karabakh and East Zangezur, as well as within the territory of Armenia, was plundered.

Recently, the Swiss Parliament’s proposals, made under the guise of an “international peace forum,” which undermine peace and stability in the South Caucasus and support the agenda of revanchists in Armenia, amount to a betrayal of peace and confidence-building efforts in the region. The fact that the letter addressed to you on behalf of a group of congressmen references these provocative actions by the Swiss Parliament once again reveals the true nature of the letter and its authors.

We believe that those behind this appeal are concerned about the new upward phase in bilateral relations, as clearly reflected in the correspondence between the leaders of the United States and Azerbaijan. We are confident that the Trump Administration, which has made commendable efforts toward lasting peace in the South Caucasus, will duly assess the actions of these congressmen who represent the “Washington swamp.”

Signed by:

Ramil Iskandarli – Chairman of the Board of the Azerbaijan National NGO Forum

Aziz Alakbarli – Chairman of the Board of the Western Azerbaijan Community

Amir Aliyev – Chairman of the Center for the Promotion of Human Rights Public Union

Fariz Khalilli – "Miras" Public Union for Assistance to the Study of Cultural Heritage

Umud Mirzayev – Chairman of the International Eurasia Press Fund

Zaur Ibrahimli – Chairman of the “Priority” Social and Economic Research Center Public Union

Irada Rzazada – Chairwoman of the Public Union “For the Social Welfare of Citizens”

Haji Abdulla – Chairman of the “Zangezur” Societies Public Union

Konul Behbudova – Chairwoman of the “Karabakh Missing Families” Public Union

Khatira Valiyeva – Chairwoman of the “Khankendi” Public Union to Support the IDPs

Vugar Gadirov – Chairman of the “Youth Organization for Return and Revival” Public Union

Rey Karimoghlu – Chairman of the “Association of Mine Victims in Azerbaijan” Public Union.