Loop around Azerbaijan or Aliyev regime is getting tighter, Armenia ambassador to Belgium says

The warnings given to Azerbaijan by the European Union (EU), and the developments at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) are the result of Azerbaijan's irresponsible and aggressive behavior. Tigran Balayan, the Armenian ambassador to Belgium and the Head of Mission of Armenia to the EU, said this in an interview with the RFE/RL Armenian Service.

"If we look at it from a historical point of view, I can say that the loop around Azerbaijan or the [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev regime is getting tighter. I cannot say how many resources they will have to resist," the ambassador said.

Brussels warned Azerbaijan at the highest level that territorial ambitions towards Armenia are unacceptable, and violation of Armenia's territorial integrity will have severe or dire consequences. Mr. Ambassador, can we say that the European Union has serious concerns regarding the territorial integrity of Armenia; that is, the EU sees a serious threat?

These statements about supporting the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and security of Armenia are not new. (…) there were also warnings and condemnations, but this did not keep Mr. Aliyev and his regime representatives away from voicing new territorial ambitions [towards], consolidating the ethnic cleansing [of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians] organized by him and his allies. (…).

Here I would also relate the developments in the PACE, which are actually the result of Azerbaijan's irresponsible and aggressive behavior, to put it mildly. That is, Mr. Aliyev wants to keep himself as the most bloodthirsty dictator, a cruel dictator, do whatever he wants inside the country or with his neighbors outside the country. You also know that there are many facts that hired killers on the order of the Azerbaijani government tried to take reprisals abroad, including with Azerbaijani oppositionists living in Europe, but to be accepted as at least a representative of a democratic country, etc.

All this should be considered in that context. If we look at it from a historical point of view, I can say that the loop around Azerbaijan or the Aliyev regime is getting tighter. I cannot say how many resources they will have to resist.

I believe that our European partners already have the illusions that it is possible to bring Aliyev personally and the regime into a constructive field through "good will" or by steps that can show Azerbaijan the positive results that can be recorded. Those illusions already if not completely, then slowly disperse (…). But at the same time, it should be noted that there are elections in the European Union in June, a new commission, a parliament will be formed, and there are [presidential] elections in the US.

And the calculation, in my opinion, is quite clear in Baku that they will attempt to delay and reduce the pressure as much as possible to ensure progress in the negotiation process of the peace agreement with Armenia.