Armenian Ambassador Tigran Balayan. Photo: factor.am.
The incident in Brussels
Brussels – The Armenian Embassy has lodged a formal protest with other diplomatic missions in Brussels over a serious incident that took place during a diplomatic reception. Armenian Ambassador Tigran Balayan claims that he received death threats from Azerbaijani Ambassador Vakif Sadykov. This is reported by the news portal TimeUkraineIsrael with reference to POLITICO.
Verbal attacks and intimidation
According to a document circulated among diplomatic representatives, Balayan reported “verbal attacks and intimidation” he received during a reception at the Tangla Hotel organised in honour of Turkey’s national day. The event was the first since the 2020 war between Armenia and Azerbaijan to invite Armenian diplomats.
Objections from Azerbaijan
Speaking to POLITICO, Ambassador Sadykov denied the allegations, calling them “ridiculous”. He stressed that the reception was a normal diplomatic event with “good food and good people” and said he was not aware of any letters or accusations from Armenian diplomats.
The long-running conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has been going on for more than three decades, since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The two countries fought for control of Nagorno-Karabakh, resulting in massive displacement and significant human losses. The most recent armed conflict in 2020 ended with Azerbaijan regaining control of parts of the territories previously occupied by Armenia.
The escalation of the situation and the international response
Already in September last year, the situation escalated after an offensive by Azerbaijani troops caused a massive flight of about 100,000 ethnic Armenians. This fact led to accusations of possible ethnic cleansing. The European Parliament has repeatedly called on Azerbaijan to respect the rights of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh and has also condemned human rights violations in the country itself.
In connection with these events, relations between Brussels and Baku have also become tense due to repressions against activists and journalists, especially in the context of Western leaders’ preparations to participate in the critical climate negotiations at the UN’s COP29 conference.
Previous threats and tensions
Additionally, it is worth noting that Sadikov had previously drawn criticism from the European Union for a threatening post on social media in which he reportedly threatened to shoot a delegation of MEPs who were visiting Armenia with Balayan.
