Fruitless huff of Els Van Hoof: Another delusion of Belgium's Armenian propaganda Loosing battle against Baku’s truth

On April 2, hearings will be held regarding a resolution draft in the Belgian Federal Parliament, initiated by the Foreign Affairs Committee, which pertains to the issue of … “Nagorno-Karabakh.” Yes, this is how Armenian media have reported it. This is already absurd because no such territorial unit exists. What actually exists is the Karabakh Economic District of Azerbaijan, which includes the Aghjabadi, Aghdam, Aghdara, Barda, Fuzuli, Khojaly, Khojavand, Shusha, and Tartar administrative districts, as well as the city of Khankendi. As we can see, this district predominantly comprises territories that were under Armenian occupation for over a quarter of a century. Their liberation came as a result of Azerbaijan’s victory in the 44-day war of 2020 and the one-day counterterrorism operation of 2023. I emphasise all this so that the huge price Azerbaijan paid for the liberation of its lands can be understood.

Did any European country assist Azerbaijan in this regard? No, they did not. Were sanctions imposed on Armenia for its occupation of 20% of Azerbaijan’s territory, for committing ethnic cleansing, for plundering Azerbaijan’s natural resources, and for ignoring four well-known United Nations Security Council resolutions? No, none of this happened. This alone should be reason enough to dismiss the authors of this resolution in the Belgian Federal Parliament and other European parliaments planning similar resolutions.

It is also important to highlight the blatant falsehoods being presented by the authors of this provocative resolution. For instance, Els Van Hoof, one of the authors of the resolution draft, told "Armenpress" about the importance of Belgium supporting Armenia — a country she claims “shares the same values of democracy, rule of law and respect for international law”. 

According to this logic, Belgium is supporting the occupation of 20% of another nation's territory, the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people into refugees and internally displaced persons, the genocide of peaceful civilians, the approval of separatism and terrorism, and ignoring United Nations resolutions. If that is truly the case, we would like to hear a more explicit admission from the Belgian representative. If not, she must acknowledge that she simply lied.

“I was deeply shocked by the blockade of the Lachin Corridor, Azerbaijan’s subsequent aggression against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, and Azerbaijan’s continuous aggressive rhetoric against Armenia. Belgium and Europe must pressure Azerbaijan to fully respect Armenia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and to work genuinely towards sustainable peace,” Els Van Hoof stated.

Almost every word spoken by her is a lie and a provocation. It is well known that the blockade of the Lachin road was carried out by representatives of the Karabakh junta, who aimed to create a desired image of "famine" in the temporarily occupied territories of Azerbaijan. In contrast, Azerbaijan was sending humanitarian aid to those areas, but it was rejected by the Karabakh junta because it interfered with their narrative of lies. After the liberation of Khankendi, the shocking reality became clear to everyone. Yes, at that time, it was revealed that warehouses in Khankendi were stocked with flour, sunflower oil, various grains, sugar, and many other essential goods. However, Els Van Hoof will never tell you this. Instead, she prefers to use her position to spread fabricated stories about a mythical "Artsakh people." Which country recognized this self-proclaimed entity? None, including Belgium. And rightfully so. This is because the principle of territorial integrity of states is paramount. Armenians, who were illegally residing in the temporarily occupied territories of Azerbaijan, ignored the laws of our country.

By the way, in recent days, Armenians who were illegally residing in the temporarily occupied territories of Azerbaijan have been claiming that the authorities of Armenia have engaged in terror against them. "I have serious suspicions that the authorities are starting a new wave of campaigns against the people of Artsakh, considering our current consolidation and upcoming just protests," wrote the former "ombudsman" and "ex-minister" of the Karabakh separatists, Artak Beglaryan. So why is the lady, who is so eager to see Azerbaijan condemned for restoring its sovereignty and territorial integrity, remaining silent?

She conveniently "forgot" that the official Yerevan had already recognized Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity, which makes her statements and the resolution all the more ridiculous and foolish. However, this becomes clearer when recalling that Els Van Hoof, in her role as the chair of the Belgium-Armenia parliamentary friendship group, made an illegal visit to the temporarily occupied territories of Azerbaijan in September 2016. During that visit, she met with former leaders of the Karabakh junta, who are now testifying in Baku's courts, claiming that Armenia provided political, financial, and military assistance to the Karabakh separatists. This was even after the conclusion of the 44-day war and the signing of the November 10, 2020, Trilateral Statement by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

So, all her current initiatives and statements are more than understandable. This woman has long been deeply connected with the Armenian diaspora in Belgium. By the way, it is in Belgium that the head of the "European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy," one of the leaders of the European wing of the Dashnaktsutyun party, Kaspar Karampetyan, resides. He invests significant resources into bribing European and Belgian parliamentarians. Now, it seems, she is simply fulfilling another assignment from her benefactors. However, the outcome of all these efforts will be predictable — zero. Whether or not the Belgian parliament adopts the resolution she proposed, Baku has long pointed out the negligible value of such papers.