Diaspora

Diaspora

National Congress of Armenians of Ukraine: Azerbaijanâ€™s occupied lands should be returned

09 January 2017 16:22 (UTC +04:00)

The president of the National Congress of Armenians of Ukraine, Ashot Avanesyan, has commented on reports alleging that he is a business partner of the chairman of the United Congress of Azerbaijanis in Ukraine, Rovshan Taghiyev, as well as the fact that they made a joint statement on Nagorno-Karabakh during the New Year's Eve celebration in Kiev.

Speaking to APA on Monday, Avanesyan said the celebration was not organized by the Armenians, but by representatives of different nations living in Ukraine.

Avanesyan noted that he was the only Armenian who took part in the event organized in Baku restaurant.

He also rejected the rumors about the talks that are harmful to the image of Azerbaijanis were held during the event.

“I’m a cultural figure. Rovshan Tagiyev is a well-known person in Ukraine and a true patriot of his homeland Azerbaijan,” Avanesyan said, adding. “I’ve known him for many years. Such disinformation is aimed at undermining not only his image, but also the reputation of the Azerbaijani diaspora.”

Avanesyan stated his stance as to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, too.

“The National Congress of Armenians of Ukraine supports a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with the restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity,” he said. “Ukraine, which we are citizens of, has also suffered from aggression on its territorial integrity. We also raise the issue of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity on a par with this one.”

Azerbaijan's occupied territories should be returned, he stressed.

“We have demanded this several times during our meetings with Armenian officials and MPs,” he said.

“Azerbaijan is my homeland. I was born in Oghuz district. We, as a family, still consider Azerbaijan our homeland,” Avanesyan added. “We support the restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. Armenians also suffer from this conflict. If the war comes to an end and the border is reopened, Armenia will benefit from it economically. This is not only my opinion, but the opinion of many Armenians.”