Baku: President Ilham Aliyev has emphasized the importance of Armenia respecting the right of Azerbaijanis to return to their ancestral lands. He stated that this is crucial for establishing peace, reconciliation, and human rights in the region. The remarks were made in his message to participants at the International Symposium of Ombudsmen on 'Strengthening the Rule of Law: The Role of Ombudsmen and National Human Rights Institutions,' as reported by APA.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, one of the key topics at the symposium is the rights of refugees, with a focus on the forced deportation and ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis from Western Azerbaijan, now part of Armenia, which began at the start of the last century. President Aliyev highlighted that following these deportations, no Azerbaijanis remained in Armenia, and their historical, cultural, religious, and spiritual heritage, including monuments, mosques, and cemeteries, was eradicated. He stressed that historical justice demands the peaceful and safe return of these individuals to their homeland.