Armenia rejects Aliyev’s “Western Azerbaijan” rhetoric

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has firmly rejected Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s renewed use of the term “Western Azerbaijan,” calling it false and misleading.

MFA spokesperson Ani Badalyan stated that “there is no such entity as ‘Western Azerbaijan’ in the territory of Armenia,” according to Armenpress.

During a recent event, President Aliyev once again referred to “Western Azerbaijan,” reiterating a narrative that Yerevan says implies territorial claims. “Western Azerbaijan refers to the western regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan,” Badalyan emphasized.

Armenia has repeatedly condemned this rhetoric, describing it as a direct threat to its territorial integrity.

Speaking in Ankara on May 21, Aliyev accused Armenia of harboring territorial claims against neighboring countries and called for UNESCO monitoring, restoration of Azerbaijani cultural heritage, and dialogue with what he termed the “Western Azerbaijan community” on their return.

In response, the Union for the Protection of the Rights of Refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh highlighted that it was Azerbaijan that obstructed UNESCO missions in the region, countering Aliyev’s accusations.