The Albanian-Udi Christian religious community of Azerbaijan has condemned Armenia's revanchist attitude toward the diplomatic corps' visit to the liberated territories.

Operativ Media reports that Robert Mobili, chairman of the Albanian-Udi Christian religious community of Azerbaijan, has issued a statement in this regard.

The statement reads:

In the name of our one Creator.

We, the members of the Albanian-Udi Christian religious community, the successor of the Albanian (Caucasian) Apostolic Independent Church, strongly condemn the revanchist attitude shown in Armenian society and political circles toward the visit of representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Azerbaijan to Karabakh and East Zangezur, particularly to the Gandzasar and Khudavang temples belonging to the Albanian historical and cultural heritage.

We believe that the presentation of historical Azerbaijani monuments such as Gandzasar and Khudavang as Armenian heritage by the Armenian side, including Armenian lobby groups that still engage in war propaganda, as well as Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and other high-ranking officials who claim to be committed to the peace agenda, not only denies and falsifies historical truths but also poses a threat to the fragile peace process emerging in the region. The purposeful campaign conducted in Armenia against the visit of the diplomatic corps representatives shows that the political and religious circles in this country are insincere in their desire for peace and still show intolerance toward Azerbaijan's legitimate rights.

We declare that Caucasian Albania is an integral part of Azerbaijani statehood, and Armenia's policy of denying the historical and cultural heritage of Caucasian Albania is unacceptable. Such provocative activity by Armenia is a manifestation of false national exceptionalism, fabricated history, and an element of racism. Such an intolerant and hostile attitude toward Caucasian Albania, especially its religious and cultural heritage, clearly shows that Armenia is afraid of the truth.

As the first apostolic church of the Caucasus, the Albanian Church has traversed a long historical path, leaving indelible marks on the religious and cultural life of not only Azerbaijan but the entire Caucasus. All attacks against a heritage that created a great culture and had its own alphabet are bound to fail. Facts cannot be denied. It is known from history that in 313, the Albanian King Urnayr adopted Christianity as the state religion. The history of the Khudavang monastery, one of the magnificent examples of Azerbaijani architecture, dates back to the 6th-7th centuries. How can history be changed or falsified? It is an undeniable truth that the Gandzasar temple was built between 1216 and 1238 by order of the Albanian Prince Hasan Jalal Dawla and received the blessing of the Albanian Patriarch Nerses in 1240. The significance of the Gandzasar temple and its special value to us lies in the fact that it was the seat of the Albanian Catholicosate. Princes and clergy from Hasan Jalal's dynasty, including Hasan Jalal Allahverdi bey, were buried on the territory of the monastery.

Unfortunately, following various pressures and influences, the activities of the Albanian Apostolic Church were terminated in 1836 by a decision of the Tsarist Synod, and the Armenian Gregorian Church attempted to claim a portion of its material and spiritual heritage. As a result, historical Albanian temples in Azerbaijan, particularly in Karabakh, were Gregorianized, and along with our historical monuments, archival materials and documents were either destroyed or falsified. Attempts to Armenianize and appropriate the historical and cultural heritage of Caucasian Albania, which is an integral part of Azerbaijani statehood, through various fraudulent schemes have become state policy in Armenia over the past century. Consequently, not a single Albanian temple in present-day Armenia or in the formerly occupied territories of Azerbaijan has preserved its original historical appearance.

Appropriating the historical and cultural heritage of Caucasian Albania to create a fake history is an offense against both the past and the future, undermining the foundations of good-neighborliness and peaceful coexistence. The continuation of this policy today and its support by the Armenian leadership is unacceptable. History must be studied, written, and presented as it is. We, the first Christians of this land, resolutely reject the attempts by Armenians to appropriate our historical, religious, and cultural heritage.

Historical reality proves that the historical-political and cultural-religious heritage of Caucasian Albania belongs today to the Azerbaijani state and the Azerbaijani people, where various ethnic groups, religions, and beliefs have coexisted in tolerance for centuries. As a Christian community that preserves its language, religion, and traditions today, we will continue to claim the sacred heritage left by our ancestors and persist in our struggle against Armenian falsifications.

Today, just as we Udis worship in churches in Gabala and Oguz, we also freely conduct religious rites and ceremonies in ancient Albanian temples in the liberated territories, including "Gandzasar", "Aghoghlan", "Khudavang", "Amaras", and other sacred sites.

After Azerbaijan restored its independence, a favorable opportunity arose to redress the injustice faced by the Albanian Apostolic Church, to study its history objectively, and to present it to the global community. The Azerbaijani government is carrying out extensive work in restoring and repairing all historical and religious monuments in the country, regardless of their affiliation, treating this heritage with special sensitivity. This includes magnificent monuments of Albanian heritage, such as the Church of Kish in the Shaki district, considered the "mother of churches" in the Caucasus, and the "Chotari" and "Mother Mary" churches in the Nij settlement of the Gabala district, where Udis live compactly, which have been restored and placed under state protection. The restoration of Albanian monuments is of great importance not only for Azerbaijan but also for the entire Christian world in terms of redressing historical injustice and preserving the environment of tolerance in our country. For all of this, we once again express our deep gratitude to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev.

We declare once again that with the liberation of our lands, historical justice has been restored, our country's territorial integrity and sovereignty have been secured, and new realities have emerged in the region. The Armenian side must finally accept this reality and once and for all abandon any actions that hinder the peace process, which is extremely necessary for the peace of our region and our peoples, as well as revanchist propaganda and the distortion of historical truths. We have visited Karabakh many times to perform religious rites and commemorate the souls of our ancestors resting there, and we plan to visit again in the near future.