After a thousand trials and tribulations endured by the Armenian diaspora in Paris, the much-anticipated brief scene of the political spectacle has finally taken place. Ara Toranyan, the CAAF's co-chair, proudly hailed the development, with Armenian media outlets reporting on it with considerable excitement and fanfare. But the issue here is not that France allowed such a political spectacle to take place, even if only for a brief moment.
The main focus should instead be on the Armenian opposition and the diaspora groups supporting it, who present themselves as victims on European streets under the slogans of “Artsakh”, while behaving disgracefully on social media platforms. At times, when you see such pathetic figures pulling every trick in the book on the streets of Europe, you are reminded of historical events and find yourself thinking, if only for a moment, about how painful and tragic the fate of those who fail to learn from history can be. For example, in 1918–19, following the First World War, an attempt was made to establish the West Ukrainian People's Republic as a result of the break-up of Austria-Hungary.
However, following Polish military intervention, the West Ukrainian People's Republic was abolished, and its territories were returned to Poland. Similarly, in 1972–73, an attempt by private groups to establish the Republic of Minerva was brought to an end within a year following opposition from the Kingdom of Tonga. There are many similar episodes in history.
Yet what is particularly regrettable is that a comparable territorial claim, dragged into the modern era under the name of “Artsakh”, continues, for some reason, to receive sympathetic treatment in Europe. One can only hope that, one day, this ideological struggle, resembling a contagious virus, will not engulf Europe, or even countries beyond Europe that continue to support it, in its own nightmare. What is particularly regrettable is that these unruly groups, which recently attempted to criticise, in an inappropriate and insulting manner, a sincere letter of thanks sent by Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, do not even seem to understand the political background from which they themselves emerged.
How can groups that so crudely violate diplomatic norms have the audacity to direct such crude insults and foul language at a head of government? The episode also deserves to be viewed in its broader context. PM Meloni's message was not simply a bilateral communication involving Azerbaijan.
A similar message was also addressed to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. However, it appears that these discredited and abusive groups, which have made targeting Azerbaijan their cause, have turned social media platforms into a weapon of their own, literally saying, a place where historical narratives are recycled, diplomatic gestures are reframed as provocations and personal attacks are substituted for substantive political argument. That strategy may generate attention, but it does not necessarily generate influence.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
