Rustam Khuazhev, a member of the presidium of the German-based League of Free Nations, stated that the international conference held in Shusha, Azerbaijan, marked the starting point of a new phase in the campaign for recognition of the "genocide of the Circassian people" during the Russo-Caucasian War.

Khuazhev's video message was published on the World Circassian Agency YouTube channel. In it, he summarized the results of the international conference "Cultural and Ethnic Diversity: Lessons of History, Contemporary Challenges," which took place on July 6. According to Khuazhev, the event brought together human rights activists, historians, and public figures from ten countries and allowed the discussion of the Circassian issue to reach a new level.

"We went to Shusha openly and with a clear, legitimate goal: to initiate and advance the issue of recognizing historical justice... And I can confidently say: our voice was heard," Khuazhev stated.

According to him, after the conference, its participants agreed on further interaction with Azerbaijani society and government agencies. He also reported that some foreign forum participants expressed support for the initiative. In particular, he reported that Lithuanian public figures spoke in favor of raising the Circassian issue on international platforms, including the UN, calling this a continuation of the course that, according to Khuazhev, Georgia and Ukraine had previously begun.

He specifically addressed Azerbaijan's role in international politics. In his opinion, the country enjoys "authority on the global stage," and President Ilham Aliyev "openly addresses complex international issues and boldly speaks out on all pressing contemporary issues." This, the activist is confident, can contribute to the advancement of the campaign for recognition of the "genocide of the Circassian people."

Khuazhev emphasized that he considers the recent conference not a conclusion, but rather the beginning of further work to advance the recognition of the "genocide of the Circassian people."

The campaign for international recognition of the "Circassian genocide" has been ongoing for many years. Its proponents seek recognition of the mass deaths and deportation of Circassians after the end of the Russo-Caucasian War in 1864 as genocide. Russian authorities reject this classification. In 2011, the Georgian parliament adopted a corresponding resolution, and in 2025, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine approved a similar resolution.