Armenpress News Agency, Armenia
 Friday


Diplomatic cables show illegitimate & embarrassing attempts of Azeri
Ambassador in Bulgaria against Armenian community



YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Bulgaria
Nargiz Gurbanova is interfering in the country’s domestic affairs in
an attempt to impede the legitimate activities of organizations.

The Ambassador had addressed Bulgaria’s minister of economy in order
to obstacle the organization of an event by AGBU (Armenian General
Benevolent Union) Bulgaria branch. The Ambassador’s move greatly
surprised and even confused the Bulgarian officials because this was
an apparent interference in the country’s domestic affairs: AGBU is
engaged in legal activities and its members are Bulgarian citizens.

Quite interesting details have emerged as ARMENPRESS carried out an
investigation of the documents containing diplomatic cables, which
were published by Anonymous Bulgaria.

In another cable from the Ambassador to her superiors in the foreign
ministry in Baku, Gurbanova notified that at a May 17, 2017 meeting
with Bulgaria’s minister of economy Emil Karanikolov she had mentioned
the AGBU Bulgaria branch is organizing the “Glance at Karabakh –
history and photos” event on June 20, at 17:30 in the Armenian Public
House in Sofia. The Ambassador had expressed discontent from the fact
that the event would also be attended, among others, by Bulgarian
citizen Hayk Karapetyan, the president of AGBU’s Plovdiv Youth
Organization, who had visited Artsakh.

“During the event Hayk Karapetyan will share his impressions from the
trip to Karabakh. We draw your attention to the fact that Karapetyan
is a member of the national and integration affairs council of
Plovdiv’s governor’s office”, the Azeri Ambassador told the Bulgarian
minister.

Gurbanova requested the Bulgarian economy minister to mediate in order
for the government to cancel the event.

The minister listened to what the Azeri Ambassador had to say, and by
not giving any specific stance – promised to study the situation and
take action (the Azerbaijani Ambassador’s strife to limit and hinder
the activities of Bulgaria’s Armenians through illegitimate actions
and apparent human rights violations once again gave no results).

Seemingly the Azerbaijani Ambassador has lost touch with reality to
such extent that she is requesting the Bulgarian government to limit
the lawful activities of their own citizens. Has the high-ranking
Azeri diplomat forgotten that a diplomatic representation is not
entitled to interfere in the domestic affairs of the hosting country?

The Armenian Community of Bulgaria has a very long history, it is
comprised from both the traditional Armenian Diaspora (Armenians who
settled there before the Genocide as well as result of it), and
Armenians who have re-located to the country from Armenia.

ARMENPRESS will contact the AGBU Bulgaria HQ to find out whether or
not the illegitimate actions of the Azerbaijani diplomatic mission
have anyhow impacted their activities.

Aram Ananyan, Aren Petunts, Davit Mamyan