Strong Armenia member warns of Azerbaijani resettlement plans

Narek Karapetyan, a senior member of the Strong Armenia party on Saturday warned that Azerbaijan has developed a strategy for the eventual return of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis to Armenia, describing the initiative as a potential threat to the country’s sovereignty and security.

Karapetyan made the remarks at a news conference in Yerevan, where he said he would present an Azerbaijani policy document related to the so-called “Western Azerbaijan community” and its stated goal of returning Azerbaijanis to Armenia.

“We have obtained an Azerbaijani document and will disclose it,” Karapetyan said. “The issue concerns the concept of the return of the so-called Western Azerbaijan community. The Azerbaijanis have developed a framework outlining how they intend to come to Armenia and what rights they would seek to exercise.”

Karapetyan said his research indicated that Azerbaijani authorities began systematically advancing the initiative in 2023. He claimed that the head of President Ilham Aliyev’s administration was appointed to coordinate the process and that conferences and public events dedicated to the issue have been organized regularly since then.

According to Karapetyan, Azerbaijani officials and public figures have intensified their rhetoric on the issue in recent months.

He pointed to remarks made by Aliyev during a meeting with members of Azerbaijan’s Academy of Sciences, as well as statements by religious leaders, including a deputy to the chairman of the Caucasus Muslim Board, who discussed the restoration of mosques in Armenia.

Karapetyan also said Azerbaijani groups have sought to promote the initiative internationally. He cited a conference held in Brussels last year that was aimed at explaining to European audiences why Azerbaijanis should be allowed to return to Armenia.