The Western Azerbaijan Community has established a working group to study the Albanian Christian heritage located in the territory of present-day Armenia, specifically in the historical regions of Zangezur, Daralayaz, and the Lake Goycha basin.

The community told Operativ Media that the group was created to scientifically research the history, architectural and epigraphic features, and ownership of churches, chapels, cross-stones, and monasteries using archival documents and other primary sources.

While the view that documents of the 16th–19th century Albanian Catholicosate were completely destroyed is widespread in Azerbaijani academic circles, and losses are undeniable, numerous documents and sources regarding both the Albanian Catholicoses and the religious-social history of the period are preserved in the archives and manuscript collections of several countries, with some already published. These materials are scattered across various collections. The working group's primary mission is to locate these documents through systematic searches and compile them into a single scientific database. Currently, the Western Azerbaijan Community already possesses hundreds of documents on this subject.

The visit of foreign diplomats to the Gandzasar monastery complex in September this year demonstrated that cultural heritage has entered the diplomatic agenda. As descendants of deported Azerbaijanis, the Western Azerbaijan Community considers the multi-layered religious and cultural heritage in present-day Armenia, including the medieval monuments of Caucasian Albania, to be part of its own heritage. This position can only be substantiated in the international scientific community through source-based facts and verifiable research. The research will also serve to document the historical and cultural foundations for the safe and dignified return of the deported population.