Yerevan /Mediamax/. The Advisory Committee on the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities urged the Azerbaijani authorities to create "the political, legal and practical conditions necessary for safe and unimpeded return of displaced Armenians from Karabakh and to set up a dedicated mechanism to deal with property issues.”

This is said in the new opinion by the Advisory Committee.

The document notes:

“As a recommendation for immediate action, the Advisory Committee urges the Azerbaijani authorities to inventory, protect and preserve all Armenian religious and cultural sites and artefacts and to investigate all allegations of vandalism, destruction and alteration of historic and cultural monuments and cemeteries used by ethnic Armenians in the region. All relevant authorities, including at the highest political level, should clearly recognise the historical contribution of ethnic Armenians to the cultural heritage of Karabakh and guarantee the protection of cultural and religious rights of ethnic Armenians from Karabakh, including those who are now in refuge abroad.”

The Advisory Committee also cited a strong public narrative against the Republic of Armenia in the context of the Karabakh conflict and its direct impact on the attitudes towards ethnic Armenians and urged the authorities of Azerbaijan to refrain from and “condemn firmly any manifestation of intolerance and spreading of ethnic hatred against persons belonging to the Armenian community, in order to facilitate the reconciliation process.”