Biased report unveils dubious agenda behind anti-Azerbaijani allegations - Spokesperson

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has classified the report titled “Deepening EU-Armenia relations: More Europe in Armenia; More Armenia in Europe,” crafted under the leadership of former Danish Prime Minister and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, as baseless accusations and distorted facts.

The report serves as a tool for a reprehensible smear campaign orchestrated by the Friends of Armenia Network. With strategic timing aimed at the US-EU-Armenia trilateral conference, this exposé unveils the vested interests behind the report and sheds light on the ulterior motives of those involved, including the misuse of official status for financial gain, the ministry further adds in a statement.

We vehemently denounce the baseless and defamatory accusations levied against Azerbaijan within the report titled “Deepening EU-Armenia relations: More Europe in Armenia; More Armenia in Europe,” dated March 21, 2024, prepared by the Friends of Armenia Network, under the leadership of former Danish Prime Minister and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

The report's slanderous allegations, distorted facts, and complete lack of substantiation serve as a reprehensible smear campaign against Azerbaijan, casting serious doubt on the report's credibility purportedly aimed at enhancing relations between Armenia and the European Union. Regrettably, it amounts to nothing more than absurd propaganda, the statement reads.

Furthermore, the timing of the report's release, strategically coinciding with the April 5 US-EU-Armenia trilateral conference, orchestrated by the aforementioned Armenian lobby group, exposes its underlying motives, driven by a lucrative agreement with the Armenian government to disseminate pro-Armenian narratives. This revelation sheds light on the true intentions behind the report and the former officials who have endorsed it, the document further adds.

Financial records readily available from public sources reveal that Anders Rasmussen continues to exploit his former status as NATO Secretary General to advance his lobbying firm, RasmussenGlobal, offering dubious lobbying and influencing services. The government of the Republic of Armenia, as his client, has reportedly paid substantial sums for this biased report, rendering it a mere "rubber stamp" document.

Of particular note is the involvement of some co-authors in the report who have witnessed firsthand the occupation and ethnic cleansing perpetrated by Armenia against Azerbaijan, the very country they now fervently defend, according to the document.

We firmly believe that the report's one-sided narrative and blatant disregard for factual accuracy not only embolden revanchist elements within Armenia but also foster a misguided perception within society that the "West" endorses Armenia's obstructionist stance in the peace process.

Further, the ministry adds that Armenia's funding of propaganda campaigns underscores its insincerity regarding the regional peace agenda.

Engaging in costly and fruitless smear campaigns through select politicians, including within European institutions such as the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, does not contribute to regional stability or peace-building efforts. Instead, the government of Armenia and Armenian lobby groups should prioritize promoting a genuine peace agenda in the region, per the document.