Monsieur de Varennes: Swayed by Armenian money Yet the substance was lacking

We have already covered the 5th Global Forum "Against the Crime of Genocide," which took place in Yerevan on December 12-13. We also highlighted how hosting such an event in a country responsible for numerous crimes against humanity, including ethnic cleansing and the Khojaly genocide, is an outrage and a moral travesty.

We also wrote about how Armenia's Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan put himself in a truly ridiculous position. He had previously tried to convince everyone that the issue of international recognition of the so-called "Armenian genocide" was not a priority in the official foreign policy agenda of Yerevan. This is important because, at the aforementioned Yerevan forum, numerous statements were made in support of this myth. And the organizer of the forum was none other than... Armenia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Therefore, they must be held accountable for the remarks made by former UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Fernand de Varennes. Yes, a few days after the event, Armenian media outlets continued to seek comments from its participants. They even tracked down the Frenchman, asking him the entirely predictable question of whether the results of Azerbaijan’s anti-terrorist operation in the Karabakh region last September could be called a "genocide."

"I don't know all of the details that occurred in Nagorno-Karabakh to be able to qualify that. I would add to that also that you have to keep in mind that the crime of genocide in international law is a very difficult crime to establish, because you need a special kind of intention," Monsieur de Varennes tried to evade the question with general statements. He should have long ago understood that there is no "Nagorno-Karabakh" in Azerbaijan, but rather the Karabakh region.

In any case, he admitted to being insufficiently informed about the essence of the question posed to him. One might think that after such an admission, he would cease his attempts to fulfil the hopes of the Armenian side. But in reality, we saw something entirely different. The Frenchman declared "I don’t think anyone would disagree, a situation of ethnic cleansing [in Karabakh]." Who are these "anyone" on whose behalf this monsieur chose to speak? Ideally, he should have presented the entire list.

"That in itself is not genocide, but it still could be considered a war crime or a crime against humanity. So, from international law, what occurred in Nagorno-Karabakh I feel could very easily be identified as ethnic cleansing," the Frenchman added.

There’s a well-known saying about how difficult it is to enjoy the fish while avoiding getting caught in the trap. It seems this monsieur managed to enjoy the fish in Yerevan, but didn't escape the rest of what the saying implies. He understands that the term "genocide" has a specific legal definition, so it’s absurd to label the voluntary departure of Armenians from Khankendi and surrounding areas—who had been illegally living in Azerbaijan’s temporarily occupied territories—as genocide. That’s why he began searching for alternative phrasing that would sound more acceptable to the Armenian audience.

At the same time, this monsieur exposed himself in an incredibly embarrassing light. After all, he was once a UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues. Therefore, he should know that both Armenian-Azerbaijani wars took place on Azerbaijani soil, and the occupation of 20% of it was recognized by all countries, including France.

Moreover, the UN Security Council passed four resolutions clearly demanding the withdrawal of all illegal Armenian armed formations from the occupied territories of our country. Armenia ignored these resolutions, continuing to plunder Azerbaijan’s natural resources and build illegally on our land. As a result, Azerbaijanis were expelled from these areas during the ethnic cleansing.

Did Azerbaijan expel Armenians from Armenia? No. However, Azerbaijanis were driven out of Armenia as part of the same ethnic cleansing. But Fernand de Varennes remained silent on this, as though he had swallowed a mouthful of Armenian brandy. Yet, he emphasized that forums like the one held in Yerevan are especially important in today's world. 

Clearly, the Frenchman was speaking from the perspective of his own participation. Now, effectively a “retired goat drummer,” he craves attention. He likely relishes the paid flights, hotel stays, abundant food, and media spotlight. For the sake of his “five minutes of fame,” he and others like him are eager to parrot whatever satisfies their hosts. But those who fulfil such demands in exchange for perks have always been treated accordingly, everywhere and at all times.