“GEGHARD”
SCIENTIFIC ANALYTICAL
FOUNDATION
2025
2025
On May 15, 2025, a conference titled “In the Footsteps of the Cultural Heritage of Western Azerbaijan” was held in Amman, the capital of Jordan, jointly organized by the Azerbaijani Embassy in Jordan and the so-called “Western Azerbaijan Community.” As part of the event, an exhibition titled “Culture of Western Azerbaijan” was also opened at the Azerbaijani Embassy, exhibiting carpets, clothing, weapons and armor, as well as five coins allegedly from the Safavid period said to have been discovered in Yerevan.
In his opening remarks, Eldar Salimov, Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Jordan, stated that the conference embodies joint efforts aimed at restoring the rights, culture, and spiritual heritage of an entire “people.” According to him, the speeches, discussions, and proposed initiatives of the event are intended to contribute to the preservation and promotion of the cultural heritage, historical monuments, folklore, and national-spiritual values of the “Western Azerbaijanis.”
Muhammad Al-Malkawi, Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister, who also heads the “Union for the Culture of Peace in the Middle East,” praised the cultural ties and shared values between the “friendly and brotherly” peoples. He emphasized the significance of his participation in the international conference held in Baku in December 2023, titled “Ensuring the safe and dignified return of Azerbaijanis displaced from Armenia: Global context and just solution”, and highlighted the importance of the “right of return for Azerbaijanis.”
It is deeply concerning that a high-ranking Jordanian official and the relevant institutions paid no attention to the fact that the organized conference and events were dedicated to the fabricated propaganda myth of “Western Azerbaijan” and were aimed at appropriating the territorial and historical-cultural heritage of the Armenian people, who have always maintained a friendly attitude toward the Arab nation.
The Geghard Foundation categorically condemns the organization of such events and exhibitions by Azerbaijan, which are clearly aimed at the internationalization of the fabricated concept of “Western Azerbaijan.” These actions of Azerbaijan reflect Baku’s consistent strategy to undermine regional stability and distort historical reality. Organizing such events in various countries under the unfounded label of “Western Azerbaijan” is intended to manipulate historical facts and maintain tensions in the region.