The Azerbaijani media recently reported that on April 27, a school olympiad titled “Return to Western Azerbaijan” will take place. (The term “Western Azerbaijan” refers to an irredentist project claiming the territory of the Republic of Armenia.)
The event is organized by the Ministry of Science and Education of Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Education of Nakhijevan, the Institute of Education of Azerbaijan, Nakhijevan State University, and the so-called “Western Azerbaijan Community” organization.
According to the organizers, the aim of the olympiad is to “increase school children’s knowledge of the history, geography, culture, literature, prominent historical figures, place names, and folklore” of the so-called “Western Azerbaijan,” and to ensure a thorough examination of this knowledge.
This event is one of the manifestations of Azerbaijan’s occupation policy. The Azerbaijani leadership does not disguise the character of its policy and has claimed on numerous occasions that “the territory of the Republic of Armenia is the ‘historical homeland’ of Azerbaijanis”, asserting that they must return there.
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Ilham Aliyev reinstated this claim in 2022 during his visit to the administrative building of the “Western Azerbaijan Community”. It is worth noting that the organization’s activities are completely sponsored by the state and are directed towards elaborating and spreading these false theses.
This further highlights how hatred against Armenians is disseminated among young generations in Azerbaijan. It also underscores that the Azerbaijani authorities are not going to abondon their occupation and unlawful projects.
“Geghard” Scientific and Analytical Foundation condemns these and other similar anti-Armenian events organized under the auspices of the Azerbaijani authorities. It also draws the attention of the international community to Azerbaijan’s aggressive policy and the threat it poses to the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia.
“Geghard” Scientific and Analytical Foundation