To begin with, we must realize that there used to be a large Azerbaijani community in Armenia. Rusif Huseynov, the Co-founder and Director of Topchubashov Center, a Baku-based think tank, told this to reporters Tuesday on the sidelines of the international Orbeli Forum being held in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia—as he commented on the theory about the “return” of Azerbaijanis to so-called “Western Azerbaijan.”

“They and their ancestors once lived in Armenia. These people left that region in several waves during the 20th century, settling both in Azerbaijan and beyond its borders. These are people who belong to a certain ethnic group with its own characteristics. They have their subethnic rituals, traditions, and even dances. They have considerable economic and political power in Azerbaijan. Therefore, it would be wrong to ignore the existence of this community.

If you want to know my opinion, I believe this community should also be involved in the process of interaction between people. They should have close connections with Armenians. After all, a certain contact must be established. For 30–40 years, both societies have lived inside their own ‘bubble.’ We can still argue and debate, but it is necessary to at least learn lessons from all this. We need to listen to each other’s stories and understand the positions. This contact will definitely help us achieve mutual understanding,” said the Azerbaijani analyst.