Gaspar Karapetyan: Diplomacy, in which not only principles but also human dignity are sacrificed, quickly turns into complicity

ArmInfo. The European office of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Dashnaktsutyun party sent an open letter to the European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus, Magdalena Grono, expressing "deep disappointment" regarding her participation in a trip to Nagorno-Karabakh organized by the Azerbaijani government.

In an open letter, Hay Dat European Office President Gaspar Karapetyan strongly condemned the participation of European officials in the staged demonstration in Baku, stating: "For me, as the president of a European NGO with committees in 13 EU member states and simply as a European citizen who believes that human dignity is inviolable, it was painful to watch senior European diplomats become participants in a carefully orchestrated performance of the authoritarian regime in Baku."

Karapetyan emphasizes that there is a difference between diplomatic contacts and observing historical revisionism (distortion of history) carried out at the state level.

"We fully agree that the EU Special Representative should communicate with all parties and that it is important to get to know the region firsthand." However, there is a significant difference between impartially observing the situation on the ground and participating in a propaganda tour organized by Azerbaijan. "It is possible to learn about the situation without offending the dignity of a people who, just three years ago, were forcibly displaced, starved, and blockaded," Karapetyan notes.

The letter particularly criticizes how such propaganda efforts allow Baku to "use the European Union to legitimize ethnic cleansing." Karapetyan cites the disturbing behavior of European officials who danced cheerfully at a party hosted by the Azerbaijani government in Artsakh, which was depopulated just three years ago, and emphasizes that such behavior, regardless of personal intentions, inevitably carries political weight.

"Regarding the history of the region and the origins of its cultural heritage, we are convinced that there is abundant, impartial historical evidence available if there is a sincere desire to study it. "We hope this will spark genuine interest on your part," the letter states.

Warning against short-sighted policies that ignore fundamental principles and human dignity, Karapetyan concludes: "We recognize that the EU has economic and political interests in Azerbaijan. However, diplomacy that sacrifices not only principles but also human dignity quickly devolves into complicity. Moreover, at the moment, it may seem that flattering the Aliyev regime helps achieve its goals. However, such an approach is short-sighted and does not provide the best basis for gaining respect, even from those being flattered."