Baku Intensifies "Return" Narrative at State Level

Official Baku is significantly increasing state funding for the "Return to 'Western Azerbaijan'" narrative, making it one of the priorities of its grant policy. This became known during a thematic discussion in Baku, organized with the financial support of the Azerbaijani government.

During the discussion, Professor Fuad Mammadov, the head of an Azerbaijani public organization, stated that this issue is being considered in the context of human rights. "The return of Azerbaijanis to present-day Armenia is a matter of fundamental human rights, and they should work more actively in this direction," he noted.

Aygün Aliyeva, director of Azerbaijan's "State Support Agency for Non-Governmental Organizations," testified to the promotion of this policy at the state level. She reported that this year alone, official Baku has "funded a record 51 projects on this topic."

According to Aliyeva, the number of NGO projects working in this direction is increasing year by year, and the process will be continuous. She emphasized that in 2026, this topic will again be one of the priorities for grant competitions. In fact, Baku is not only continuing but also institutionally and financially expanding the policy that targets the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia as "Western Azerbaijan."