Azerbaijan remains committed to preserving Christian heritage on its territory as part of the country’s history, Presidential Assistant Hikmet Hajiyev said during a Euronews Forum panel in Dubai on Wednesday. Speaking at the Arab Media Summit, Hajiyev said the peace process with Armenia remained difficult, while arguing that both sides needed to prepare their societies for peace. Hajiyev, who heads the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of Azerbaijan’s Presidential Administration, said Azerbaijan did not view the destruction of religious and cultural sites during the years of occupation as grounds for revenge.
He stressed that Azerbaijan’s cultural heritage also encompasses the country’s Christian and Jewish history. Hajiyev also highlighted Azerbaijan’s historical links to different religious traditions, saying he was “more than proud that my country is one of the first places of Zoroastrianism.” “It’s also one of the first places of Christianity since the fourth century: Christianity was adopted by the (Caucasian) Kingdom of Albania as an official religion,” he said, adding that Azerbaijan was “also one of the first countries that adopted Islam.” Caucasian Albania was an ancient kingdom located in parts of present-day Azerbaijan and southern Dagestan and is unrelated to the modern Balkan state of Albania. Armenian church authorities have disputed Azerbaijan’s record regarding religious sites, accusing Baku of demolishing churches in Karabakh.
Azerbaijan rejects those allegations. Hajiyev criticizes European Parliament over South Caucasus policy Hajiyev also criticized the European Parliament and some Western media outlets over their approach to the South Caucasus, arguing that Azerbaijan continues to face what he described as disinformation despite efforts to establish peace with Armenia. He added that EU policy should focus on “building the concept of the new partnership ... and not to build into dividing lines.” Hajiyev also pointed to Azerbaijan’s role in European energy security, saying the country supplies natural gas to 16 EU member states as well as other European countries.
He said the Middle Corridor connectivity project could further strengthen ties between Azerbaijan and the European Union. Here we are to serve you with news right now. It does not cost much, but worth your attention.
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