EaP CSF Azerbaijan National Platform becomes instrument of official propaganda of Baku
EAP CSF ARMENIAN NATIONAL PLATFORM STATEMENT ON THE PROPAGANDA INCREASING TENSION IN ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI RELATIONS February 07, 2017 Armenian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) Civil Society Forum (CSF) expresses its deep concern over the intensification of propaganda and lobbying activities by the Azerbaijani authorities aimed at paralyzing the negotiation process over the settlement of Karabakh conflict and ruling out any opportunity of peaceful dialogue. In this connection we should mention the glorification at the official level of Ramil Safarov, sentenced by the Hungarian court to life imprisonment for murder and extradited to his homeland, violent persecution of journalists and representatives of civil society, engaged in peace-building activities together with Armenian partners, constant provocations in the media, bribery of foreign public officials and MPs with the aim to involve them in propaganda campaign, obstruction to the operation of the OSCE Yerevan Office, which is the only one in the South Caucasus, the initiatives by the parliamentarians from the ruling “Yeni Azerbaijan” party to recognize Yerevan as part of the Republic of Azerbaijan, etc. Under the threat of suffering the same fate as their fellow human rights advocates, non-governmental organizations of that country get more actively involved in the destructive activities of their authorities. In particular, it is a matter of concern that EaP CSF Azerbaijan National Platform not for the first time becomes an instrument of the official propaganda of Baku. On January 25, 2017 EaP CSF Azerbaijan National Platform came up with accusations against the establishment of joint Russian-Armenian Air Defence System, which allegedly bears a negative impact on peaceful settlement of Karabakh conflict, as well as on the statement by the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov regarding the speculations about military solution to the problem. We, the representatives of Armenian civil society, are no less concerned about further militarization of the region during the last years and the hampering of its civilized development. However, if we are to protest against it, the point of departure should be the multibillion supply of heavy offensive weaponry to Azerbaijan by Russia, rather than hypothetical threats from the joint air defence system. That arms deal has already had its concrete consequences - numerous casualties on both sides in the April 2016 four-day war, provoked by Baku, throwback of the negotiation process to the 1992-1993 state… It became a significant factor having determined Yerevan’s U-turn from signing the Association Agreement with the European Union towards the country’s bleak membership to the Eurasian Economic Union, and having damaged not only the European perspectives of Armenia, but also the entire EU’s “Eastern Partnership” initiative. As for Sergey Lavrov’s recent statements on Nagorno Karabakh, not being big admirers of the methods of Russian diplomacy and regardless of the dissatisfaction these statements caused in Baku or Yerevan, it should be acknowledged that they were in no way contrary to the principles of conflict settlement, underlying the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. We consider it pointless to dwell on the incompetent interpretation of the documents of international organizations and ideas regarding the conflict settlement, which have nothing to do with reality, and are, inter alia, found in the statement by Azerbaijan National Platform. They just repeat word for word the official propaganda of Baku. Instead, we suggest returning to constructive initiatives - aimed at establishing dialogue and restoring trust between the peoples of our countries and the whole region - which have been supported by all our colleagues from the Forum, except the representatives from Azerbaijan. We would like to hope that Azerbaijan National Platform will demonstrate enough independence, civic courage and common sense for that. The endless exchange of confrontational statements, draining us of time and energy, diverting attention from the pressing challenges of the European integration and the progress of our countries, can never meet the joint interests of the Forum participants. Nevertheless, the position of the EaP CSF Armenian National Platform is that any provocation that may mislead, distort the true state of affairs cannot be left without response.
