This document was prepared by MP and member of the European Council Parliament Rafael Huseynov
and bears the signatures of a number of MPs from Azerbaijan, Italy, Belgium, Hungary, Spain, Poland, Lithuania, Turkey, Ukraine and Georgia (affiliated with the Liberal Democratic-Reformist, European People’s Party, Democratic Europe, United Left of Europe and Socialist groups).
The problem of providing education in their native languages to 30 million Azerbaijanis living in Iran (Southern Azerbaijan)
Document:9710
February 13, 2003
190 years ago, as a result of the war between Iran and Russia and according to the 1813 Gulistan and 1828 Turkmenchay treaties, Azerbaijan was divided into two, Northern Azerbaijan
was under the control of Russia, and Southern Azerbaijan was under the control of Iran.
Northern Azerbaijan gained independence in 1918-1920 under the name of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, while Southern Azerbaijan was able to establish its own state in 1945-46. Unfortunately, both states lost their independence as a result of foreign pressure.
Although the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic lost its sovereignty with the Soviet invasion and joined the USSR, it regained its independence as the Azerbaijan Republic in 1991.
Today, 8 million people live in the Azerbaijan Republic. The number of ethnic Azerbaijanis living in Iran is about 30 million. Unfortunately, Azerbaijanis living in Iran do not have the opportunity to receive education in their native language in the country.
Although Iran is not a European country, a number of member states of the Council of Europe have close political, economic, scientific and cultural relations with Iran, and the nearly 30 million Azerbaijanis living in Iran share the same language, moral and cultural values as their compatriots in the Republic of Azerbaijan (a European country). If they are given the opportunity to receive education in their native language, to read books and the press published in the Republic of Azerbaijan, and to read the books and press published in the Republic of Azerbaijan, and, taking into account that Azerbaijan is a member of the Council of Europe, they will be provided with the opportunity to become acquainted with national and European values, and to further assimilate European ways of thinking and behavior.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe believes that the steps to be taken by the government to open primary, secondary and higher schools for ethnic Azerbaijanis living in Iran will be a sign of the respect shown by this country for the most fundamental rights of its largest national minorities.
For this reason, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe recommends that the Committee on Culture, Science and Education investigate this problem and prepare a separate report on it.