JOINT FORUM OF AZERI-JEWISH DIASPORAS IN UKRAINE WILL TAKE PLACE IN JAN. 2007
Author: S.Ilhamgizi
TREND, Azerbaijan
Sept 28 2006
A decision was made to hold a joint Forum of Azerbaijani and Jew
diasporas functioning in Ukraine, the Chairman of the Congress of
Ukrainian Azerbaijanis (CUA) Oktay Efendiyev told Trend.
He noted that the opening ceremony of the memory complex in Babi
Yar dedicated to the genocide of Jews, as well as the official part
of the event were attended by the representatives of Azerbaijani
and Jew diasporas. The ceremony also brought together the Ukrainian
President Victor Yushenka, Ukrainian Prime Minister Victor Yanukovich,
Chairman of the Supreme Rada, mayor of Kiev, ministers and other
senior officials, the Presidents of Israel, Montenegro and Croat and
other senior officials of many countries including the Speaker of
the Azerbaijani Parliament Oktay Asadov.
During the meeting attended by the representatives of the Azerbaijani
diaspora in Ukraine, Chairman of CUA Oktay Efendiyev, as well as
representatives of Jewish diaspora in Ukraine, the memory of the
victims of Babi Yar tragedy was remembered.
Negotiations were held between Azerbaijani and Jewish societies
after the ceremony bringing together official representatives of 41
countries. An agreement was reached between Efendiyev and the Chairman
of Ukrainian Congress of Jews Ile Levitas regarding conducting joint
measures of the two diasporas.
"We decided to hold a joint Forum of Azerbaijani and Jewish
societies functioning in Ukraine. We agreed up on the creation of
an organizational committee for this purpose. Azerbaijan people feel
sorry for Jewish people facing a terrible tragedy. Because Azerbaijan
has also sustained genocide by Armenia and the aggression of Armenia
still continues. In 1981 Armenian dashnaks committed a terrible
genocide against Azerbaijani people in various cities of Azerbaijan.
In addition, Armenians committed genocide (Khojali tragedy) against
Azerbaijani people on 26 February 1992, which wasn’t observed in the
world. Azerbaijani and Jewish peoples faced the same genocides.
Therefore we understand each other well," Efendiyev emphasized.
The Chairman of CUA added that conducting the joint Forum was presented
to the attention of the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Oktay
Asadov during meeting. The Speaker supported this initiative, and
promised that the senior officials of Azerbaijan and a deputy group
of parliament will attend the forum.
"This Forum will be a tribune to present the realities about Azerbaijan
to the attention of the world public. Conducting a joint Forum with
Jewish diaspora will be a blow to our enemy – Armenia," Efendiyev
underlined. Moreover, he spelled out that the Forum is planned to be
held in the first decade of January 2007 in Kiev.