Azerbaijani NGOs addressed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio

Azerbaijani non-governmental organizations (NGOs) addressed the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

As reported by BAKU.WS with reference to AZERTAG, it states:

"Dear US Secretary of State Marco Rubio!

The letter from a group of congressmen addressed to you regarding the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan, and their actions against the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia have caused sharp indignation in Azerbaijani society. We strongly reject such one-sided approaches.

We believe that the pro-Armenian figures of the Biden-Blinken era have actually committed an open provocation against US President Donald Trump's peace efforts in the South Caucasus.

Recently, the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia held a meeting in Abu Dhabi (UAE). It is reported that the text of the peace agreement has already been agreed upon, and complex and serious work to advance the peace process continues. Against this background, the calls from a group of US congressmen are an attempt to interfere with the process, artificially create tension, and provoke a new hotbed of conflict in the region.

It is deeply regrettable that individuals who have no connection to the region and do not have proper awareness of its problems sign irresponsible statements in exchange for material incentives from the Armenian lobby in the US. Azerbaijani society knows these individuals well: they remained silent when Armenia occupied Azerbaijani lands, turned a blind eye to the bloodshed of innocent people, the Khojaly tragedy, and took the side of the aggressor. And today they are doing everything possible to ensure that war criminals who shed the blood of the Azerbaijani people avoid responsibility. These congressmen enjoy no respect in Azerbaijan.

We remind you that one of the prominent representatives of such anti-Azerbaijani initiatives - former Senator Bob Menendez, also known for his harsh criticism of President Trump - was convicted of corruption and bribery. Among the authors of the latest appeal is Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, who has repeatedly called for criminal prosecution of Mr. Trump and has also been noticed for systematic pro-Armenian statements.

Congressman Frank Pallone, who visited Baku last year as part of the COP29 event, was met by public activists with slogans "Get out!". As a result, he was forced to cut short his visit and left the country in disgrace.

We are convinced that before talking about the return of Armenians to the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan, congressmen like F. Pallone should recognize the right of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia to return. Refugees from Western Azerbaijan have the same right to peacefully return to their historical homeland. The Western Azerbaijan Community, unlike Armenian circles, has already expressed readiness for dialogue with Armenia on this issue.

The material and cultural heritage of the Azerbaijani people was barbarically destroyed and looted both in the occupied territories of Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur, as well as on the territory of present-day Armenia. Silencing this fact is a blatant injustice that the international community should not ignore.

Recent statements by the Swiss parliament, presented as an "international peace forum," but actually containing proposals that damage peace and stability in the South Caucasus and encourage revanchist sentiments in Armenia, are a betrayal of the very idea of building trust and sustainable peace in the region. The mention of these provocative steps in the letter addressed to you on behalf of a group of congressmen once again reveals the true nature of both the appeal itself and its initiators.

We are convinced that the main concern of the authors of this appeal is their worry about the positive dynamics in bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and the US, which is clearly manifested in the recent correspondence between the leaders of our countries. We are confident that President Donald Trump's administration, which is making constructive and consistent efforts to achieve sustainable peace in the South Caucasus, will give a proper and fair assessment of the actions of these congressmen, who are representatives of the so-called "Washington swamp".

The document was signed by:

Ramil Iskenderli,