Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has delivered a speech at the general policy debate of the 41st Session of the UNESCO General Conference, Report informs referring to the press service of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.
“Today the relevance of UNESCO is more than ever, as we are going through unprecedented challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic continues posing a serious threat to the whole world. From the very beginning, our Government has been taking robust measures to minimize the negative impact of the pandemic on its population as well as on the international community. 60% of our population has already been vaccinated. We have also made voluntary financial contributions to the World Health Organization in the amount of $10 million and provided financial and humanitarian assistance to more than 30 countries to support their fight against the coronavirus,” he said.
“Azerbaijan has a longstanding relationship with UNESCO and next year we will celebrate the 30th anniversary of our membership to UNESCO. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Madame Mehriban Aliyeva, we have a strong, dynamic partnership with UNESCO. Within these 30 years, Azerbaijan has become an important and a reliable partner of the Organization,” Bayramov added.
“Azerbaijan supports the Organization’s noble mission in different parts of the world and is one of the main partners in the promotion of intercultural dialogue. Azerbaijan has been supporting the UNESCO Member States from African, Asian and Latin American regions in such priority areas as girl’s education, safeguarding tangible and intangible cultural heritage, science and innovation technologies, and disaster risk preparedness through the Trust Fund that has been established between UNESCO and Azerbaijan,” the foreign minister noted.
“Azerbaijan expressed its intention to join the Global Education Coalition, launched by UNESCO in March 2020. In this regard, Azerbaijan will contribute to the supportive actions, aimed at assisting all learners around the world, particularly, the most vulnerable ones. I am proud to announce the contribution of $1 million by my Government to Global Education Coalition,” he said.
“As you are well aware, Azerbaijan liberated its territories from the 30-years long occupation by Armenia and with the signing of the Trilateral Statement by the leaders of Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia on November 10, 2020, the armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan came to an end. The results of the Armenian occupation were devastating. Armenia has pursued a systematic policy to destroy, pillage and misappropriate Azerbaijan’s cultural heritage both in the territories it has occupied for 30 years and in Armenia itself,” he added.
The minister noted that Armenia pursued far-reaching targets of removing any sign heralding their Azerbaijani origins, as an example of cultural genocide. Armenia also refuses to share the maps of the minefields, deliberately preventing the return of IDPs to the liberated territories, he said.
“In our various communications, we alerted UNESCO of these gross violations and illegal activities committed by Armenia and requested the need to dispatch a technical mission to the occupied territories throughout the past 30 years. Unfortunately, each time Armenia prevented the dispatch of this mission, which was acknowledged by UNESCO in its 2005 report,” Bayramov noted.
“The Government of Azerbaijan has already initiated practical steps aiming at eliminating the consequences of decades-long occupation followed by massive destruction. At the highest-level Azerbaijan declared its determination that all cultural and religious monuments in the liberated territories regardless of their origin will be duly preserved and restored,” he said.
“Azerbaijan in its efforts of post-conflict rehabilitation is looking forward to cooperation with UNESCO. Over the past months since the end of the conflict Azerbaijan and UNESCO have been actively engaged in dialogue with a view of dispatching a technical mission to the liberated territories. The two sides have agreed on several complex technical, legal, and political aspects of the mission, which will ensure its effectiveness and independence,” the minister noted.
“Azerbaijan, as a candidate country to the UNESCO Executive Board, for the term 2021-2025, counts on your valuable support. Your trust will give us an opportunity to further contribute and assist our Organization in realizing its noble goals and ideals,” Bayramov added.