EAFJD condemns EU envoy’s participation in Azerbaijani-organized visit to Artsakh

(Horizon Media / BRUSSELS) — The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) has addressed an open letter to EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Magdalena Grono, expressing “deep disappointment” over her participation in an Azerbaijani government-organized visit to Nagorno-Karabakh.

EAFJD President Kaspar Karampetian strongly criticized the participation of senior European officials in what he described as a carefully staged propaganda exercise by Baku.

“There is a fundamental difference between witnessing realities on the ground impartially and participating in a propaganda visit organized by Azerbaijan,” Karampetian wrote, stressing that the visit took place only three years after the forced displacement of Artsakh’s Armenian population following blockade and starvation.

The letter warned that such visits risk allowing Azerbaijan to instrumentalize the European Union in an effort to legitimize the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh. It also criticized scenes of European officials dancing at an Azerbaijani government-organized celebration in the depopulated region, arguing that such conduct inevitably carries political significance regardless of individual intentions.

Karampetian further challenged Azerbaijani efforts to rewrite the region’s history and cultural heritage, noting that extensive independent historical evidence is available to those genuinely interested in examining Artsakh’s past.

While acknowledging the EU’s political and economic interests in Azerbaijan, the EAFJD warned against sacrificing fundamental principles and human dignity in the pursuit of short-term diplomatic objectives.

“Diplomacy in which not only principles but also human dignity are sacrificed quickly turns into complicity,” Karampetian wrote.

The EAFJD reaffirmed its readiness for constructive engagement with the EU Special Representative, while insisting that the gravity and symbolism of the visit require open and direct dialogue.