#KarabakhTalks discussions platform

On September 28th, the opening ceremony of the 'Erasmus+ 2' program took place in Baku.

At the event, Sector Director of the Government Agencies and Communication Department of the Presidential Administration, Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Agency Vusal Quliyev, , Chairman of the Executive Board of the Karabakh Revival Fund Rahman Hajiyev, representatives of various state agencies, 90 young participants from various countries who came to Azerbaijan within the framework of the program, and media representatives were present.

At the event, Rahman Hajiyev, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Karabakh Revival Fund, shared his thoughts on the significance of the project. He emphasized that the glorious Victory achieved by our victorious Army under the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev over Armenian fascism has bestowed great joy and pride upon our people. The Chairman of the Executive Board also pointed out that as a result of the liberation of our lands, opportunities have been created for the return of internally displaced persons to their native lands, and the Great Return has already begun, bringing it to the attention of the participants of the project.

Rahman Hajiyev provided extensive information to the participants about the subsidies implemented by Armenians in the liberated territories. According to him, as a result of Armenian terror, our cities and villages in the liberated territories were turned into ruins, with significant damage inflicted on material objects and historical monuments:

"The First Karabakh War that began in the early 1990s between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the subsequent 30 years of occupation of the mountainous region of Karabakh and the seven adjacent districts resulted in them being turned into ruins. Several cities were simply demolished and later completely dismantled to be used as construction material. The occupiers showed no mercy towards residential buildings, architectural monuments, or cemeteries."

Rahman Hajiyev presented the activities of the Karabakh Revival Fund and provided participants with detailed information about the fund's initiatives, events, and projects.

The Chairman of the Executive Board stated that after the historic victory achieved by the Victorious Azerbaijan Army under the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, a new reality emerged in the region. At the same time, the scale of destruction in Karabakh underscores the importance of the entire society, including the youth, supporting the efforts towards the restoration of the liberated territories.

During the presentation, Rahman Hajiyev acquainted the participants with the "Karabakh.Center" (https://karabakh.center/en) internet resource, project was created by Karabakh Revival Fund at the initiative of the First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban khanim Aliyeva, which aims to systematize and disseminate objective information about the causes of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, the consequences of Armenia's aggression, and deliver it to the wider public. He also introduced the "Karabakhmemorial.com" (https://karabakhmemorial.com/en) project dedicated to commemorating the memory of the young victims who perished as a result of the military crimes perpetrated by the Armenian armed forces during the 44-day Patriotic War.

It should be noted that the project organized within the framework of the "Shusha Year" by the State Support Agency for Non-Governmental Organizations and the Public Association "Assistance to Youth Intellectual Development" aims to promote international dialogue through the exchange of tools, methods and experiences in the integration of migrants and refugees in participating countries.

During the trip, representatives of youth organizations from various countries will meet with former refugees and internally displaced persons who have been displaced from their homes for 30 years, as well as with migrants working in local and international organizations. The factor of more than one million refugees and internally displaced persons as a result of Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan will be a special topic of discussion during training sessions for objective evaluation of the problem's content from an international security perspective.

During the 9-day project (September 26 - October 5), international participants will receive information on the integration of refugees and internally displaced persons into society during the adaptation period, based on the Azerbaijani experience. Topics covered will include social service packages, employment services, and benefits provided to them. Additionally, discussions will be held on Azerbaijani conditions for tolerant living, religious and moral freedom, as well as public participation in the "Great Return" process, as part of a panel titled "Formulating the Model of Peace and Coexistence in Azerbaijan”.