The protest in Armenia, including at the official level, against the visit of foreign diplomats to Azerbaijan's Karabakh region has caused discussions.
Speaking to Modern.az on the issue, Rasim Musabayov, a member of the Milli Majlis Committee on International Relations and Interparliamentary Relations, stated that the claims made by the Armenian side on this topic have no legal basis.
“What they say has no significance. Azerbaijan rejects all their fabrications. Azerbaijan is fully entitled to its territory. All historical, religious, and cultural monuments in this territory belong to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan also invites diplomats here and has the authority to make all decisions in this territory,” the deputy said.
According to R. Musabayov, the Armenian side also has no moral basis to criticize Azerbaijan on this issue:
“Armenian churches built in Baku, Ganja, and Shusha in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Azerbaijan are preserved by the state. However, in Armenia, the only undestroyed mosque has been renamed 'Persian Mosque'. Yet, that mosque was built with the funds of the Iravan Khan. There were hundreds of mosques in Armenia, and all of them were destroyed. Against this background, they have no moral right to make any criticism against Azerbaijan.”
The deputy also touched upon the issue of the ownership of ancient churches in Karabakh.
“Even Armenians cannot deny that ancient Albanian churches belong to the Albanian heritage. This is a historical fact. They are simply trying to present Albanian history as Armenian history. There is no basis for this.
At one time, the Albanian Church was subordinated to the Armenian Church at various historical stages and later Armenianized. However, this does not give a reason to rewrite history,” he said.
Rasim Musabayov emphasized that Azerbaijan has the ability to protect its historical and cultural heritage:
“Azerbaijan is capable of protecting its history and, if necessary, has the power to put those who make claims against Azerbaijan in their place.”
