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Elmira Suleymanova: â€œI have not got any appeals on the ethnic ground in Azerbaijanâ€

16 June 2011 11:06 (UTC +04:00)

APA reports that the conference entitled â€œCultural rights of national minorities and migrants: the legal aspects and implementationâ€ is dedicated to June 18 - Human Rights Day of Republic of Azerbaijan and the 20th anniversary of restoration of Azerbaijanâ€™s state independence. The conference will continue its work till June 18.

In her keynote speech, Ombudsperson Elmira Suleymanova said that there are about 90 ethnic minority groups in Azerbaijan, which population passed 9 million. It establishes ground for the religious diversity: â€œThe ethnic minorities have been participating in all processes with equal rights for centuries in Azerbaijan. The equal opportunities have been established for them without any discrimination. I have not got any appeals on the ethnic during my office of Ombudsperson in Azerbaijanâ€. Suleymanova noted that 450 thousand migrants are living in Azerbaijan. The majority of them are labor migrants. The Ombudsperson reminded that Azerbaijan has faced Armenian aggression for the last 20 years. There are about 1 mln persons who suffered from Armenian aggression. More than 600 thousand of them are internally displaced persons.

Deputy Prime Minster, chairman of The State Committee on Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons Ali Hasanov said that the complete legal basis for the protection of the rights of ethnic minorities and groups was established in Azerbaijan. Noting that Azerbaijan was a tolerant country, Hasanov said that more 380 religious communities were registered in the country, 31 of them were non-Islamic religious communities.
Hasanov said that enormous work is conducted in the country in migration sphere: â€œIf there were 12 thousand refugees in Azerbaijan from other countries years ago, this number is reduced to 2500 nowâ€.

Minister of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan Abulfas Garayev said that Azerbaijan was always known in hospitability, respect to every nation and religion: â€œIt is possible to feel Azerbaijani reality and tolerance in the contact with every Azerbaijani. Without depending on belonging to any nationality, a person living in Azerbaijan first of all is Azerbaijani citizenâ€.

Ombudspersons from Sweden, Norway, India, Thailand, Pakistan, Slovenia, Russia, Ukraine and Moldova and the human rights experts participate in the conference held on the initiative of UNESCO.