By AZE.US
BAKU, Azerbaijan - Disputes over the religious heritage of Karabakh and neighboring countries should not be allowed to develop into conflicts between nations, AIR Center Chairman Farid Shafiyev said in a wide-ranging interview.
Shafiyev discussed the issue during an interview with the Novosti Kavkaza channel, according to Vesti Baku.
The discussion followed public reaction to diplomats visiting religious monuments in Karabakh, including the Gandzasar monastery complex.
Shafiyev, chairman of Azerbaijan’s Center for Analysis of International Relations and Multiculturalism, said the question of church ownership and historical identity remains particularly sensitive in Armenian society. However, he argued that disagreements over cultural heritage would not halt diplomatic visits or the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
He also addressed the dispute over the Kurmuk church, an issue that has affected discussions between Azerbaijan and Georgia. Shafiyev said such matters should be handled through diplomatic channels.
Social-media posts can turn disagreements among historians or religious figures into broader interethnic confrontations, he said. Shafiyev described claims that outside forces were coordinating such disputes as an unproven theory.
Azerbaijan’s Conduct at the U.N.
Shafiyev also responded to criticism from some Turkish social-media users after Azerbaijan’s representative remained in the United Nations General Assembly hall during an Israeli leader’s speech.
He said Azerbaijani diplomats generally listen to speeches, record what is said and use the right of reply when necessary. The same practice, he said, has been followed during speeches by Armenian representatives.
Shafiyev argued that online disputes do not reflect the state of relations between Baku and Ankara. Azerbaijan and Turkey address disagreements through diplomatic channels, he said, adding that Baku has an interest in reducing tensions between Turkey and Israel.
Usmanov Sanctions Dispute
The interview also covered claims that Azerbaijan had sought the removal of European sanctions against businessman Alisher Usmanov. Shafiyev rejected the assertion that Baku initiated such a request, though he did not identify the country that he said had taken the initiative.
The European Union removed Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from its sanctions list on Sept. 22 while renewing measures against thousands of other Russia-linked individuals and entities. Reuters reported that France faced pressure from Azerbaijan over Usmanov, citing European diplomats, while Baku rejected claims that it had used detained French citizens as leverage.
Shafiyev said Azerbaijan has not joined sanctions against Russia but does not help circumvent them or facilitate the re-export of prohibited goods.