An international conference entitled “Azerbaijan’s model of multiculturalism: ethno-cultural diversity” was held in Baku on Nov. 28, APA reported.
Addressing the conference, Arye Gut, head of the representative office of the Baku International Multiculturalism Centre in Israel, said that Azerbaijan is one of the rare countries where different nations live in peace.
He noted that Azerbaijan’s multicultural traditions can be an example to the world.
“Despite the fact that Azerbaijani territories are still under Armenian occupation and there are more than a million refugees and IDPs in the country, anti-Semitism has never been observed in Azerbaijan,” he added.
Artur Agajanov, an Armenian historian and a member of the board of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform, said that unlike the western countries, which are in search of the formula of coexistence, multiculturalism is a way of life in Azerbaijan.
“As a Karabakh Armenian, I have good memories of Azerbaijanis. The Azerbaijani people have always been known for their tolerance and respect for all nations,” he noted.
Rima Sarkisova, a member of the board of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform, said that intercultural and interethnic relations are especially painful for the nations facing conflicts.
Sarkisova said that though she was forced to leave his homeland due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, over these years she has always maintained contact with her relatives and friends living in Baku.
Eldar Samadov, deputy head of the working group of Azerbaijan’s State Commission for Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons, said that said that there has been an atmosphere of tolerance in Azerbaijan since ancient times. He noted that the work done in this sphere by President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva is praiseworthy.
He also pointed to the fact that twenty percent of Azerbaijani territory is still under Armenian occupation.
“Despite the occupation of its territories, Azerbaijan managed to preserve multicultural values. As for Armenia, xenophobia and discrimination prevail in this country. This, in turn, poses a threat to both the region and the whole world,” added Samadov.
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