French expert: Azerbaijani IDPs want to hold a dialogue with Armenians from Karabakh

"The Azerbaijani women expelled from Nagorno-Karabakh and 7 adjacent regions occupied by Armenia are the refugees and forced migrants who want to return to their homes," former member of the European Parliament, Professor of the French Institute for European Perspective and Security Studies (IPSE) Patricia Lalonde said.

"When I was in Azerbaijan, I met with women from among the refugees and IDPs. These women repeatedly told us that they wanted to return to Karabakh, to their homes.They still cannot get used to the new conditions. Azerbaijani IDPs have no hatred for Armenian women. They had nostalgia and psychological trauma from their experiences.This trauma was especially clearly observed in women who witnessed the Khojaly tragedy, " she noted.

The French expert noted that Azerbaijani IDPs expressed a desire to hold a dialogue with Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh: "They believe that if a dialogue is established with the Armenians, a truce will be achieved between the two communities. They want to establish a dialogue with the Armenians and create a committee. The Azerbaijani government supports women in this matter."

Lalonde noted that international organizations highly appreciate the measures taken by the Government of Azerbaijan in the area of improving the conditions of refugees and IDPs: "Among the work carried out in Azerbaijan in the field of protecting the rights of women, the attention paid to refugees and displaced persons deserves praise.

"The Azerbaijani government cares about displaced people. I was in a building in the Saatly district for internally displaced persons, and I witnessed the creation of all conditions there. In 2003, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, stated that there should no tent camps in the country and the displaced people should be resettled in new villages. Indeed, after 4 years, namely in 2007, the camps were eliminated.

International organizations support the policy of Azerbaijan, pursued for the welfare and protection of internally displaced persons. This is also stated in international documents, including the report prepared by the European Parliament in July 2018."

The French professor stressed that the government of Azerbaijan today faces two major tasks: "The first is to return forced migrants to their lands, houses, the second is to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, achieve peace."