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Independent MP Taguhi Tovmasyan has sent new letters to her international partners and several organizations, calling attention to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s territorial ambitions towards a part of Armenia. Her statement is provided below.

"On September 30, in Baku, a statue of the Azerbaijani folk storyteller and ashugh Ashiq Alasgar was ceremoniously unveiled. During his speech at the unveiling, Ilham Aliyev stated that the ashugh lived on the ancient land of Azerbaijan, in the village of Aghkilisa in the Göycha region. The President of Azerbaijan assured his people that they would return to their “historical lands.”

Research has shown that the ancient land Aliyev referred to is part of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, specifically the village of Azat in the Vardenis community of the Gegharkunik region.

Decades ago, when Azerbaijanis settled in Azat, the village was called Aghkilisa. But if we look back in history, it becomes clear that Azat has always been Armenian. This is evidenced by the gravestones, khachkars (cross-stones), the church, and other monuments located in the village. All the information regarding these monuments can be found here.

Many Armenians were also born in Azerbaijan, but there have never been any claims that they would return to their birthplace—Ganja (Kirovabad), Dashkasan, or elsewhere. By the way, in Dashkasan, the only historical and cultural monument that remains to this day is the Armenian Church of the Holy Translators.

The statements made by the President of Azerbaijan about returning to “historical lands” directly violate many provisions of international law:

According to the Charter of the United Nations, every state has the right to sovereignty over its own territory.

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) (1966) reaffirms the right of peoples to self-determination, which must be balanced with the principle of the territorial integrity of existing states.

I have called on the international community to support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Armenia in order to prevent potential Azerbaijani aggression."