A child plays at the macabre "Trophy Park" in Baku, where Armenian soldiers are degraded
Azerbaijan must avoid fueling animosity and hatred, said the European Unions Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, reported the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy.
Borrell was responding to a written question from a member of the European Parliament from Cyrprus, Costas Mayrides, who wrote to Borrell seeking clarification on the EU’s position on and the steps that are being taken to address the opening in Baku of a military “Trophy Park.”
Opened to much fanfare in April by the Azerbaijani government, the park is littered with provocative exhibits and displays of military equipment and armaments destroyed or confiscated from Artsakh forces during the 2020 war. The park also also features the helmets of Armenian soldiers killed in the war, as well as degrading wax mannequins of Armenian military personnel.
“The EU is aware of the Military Trophy Park opened on 12 April 2021 in Baku” and added that Azerbaijan “must avoid fueling animosity and hatred,” said Borrell in response to Mayrides’ inquiry.
“The EU believes that in processing the recent history, countries should be mindful about human dignity and good neighborly relations, and seek to promote reconciliation and avoid fueling animosity and hatred. This is what the EU expects and the message has been publicly passed,” added Borrell.
“While we welcome the position of the EU on this issue, we would like to point out that the so-called Azerbaijani ‘Trophy Park’ is nothing but another manifestation of decades-long state policy of Armenophobia in Baku,” the EAFJD said in response to Borrell’s statement.
“Unfortunately, thanks to the xenophobic regime of Baku, hatred toward anyone or anything Armenian is now anchored deeply in Azerbaijani society, including children, teenagers and army men, which led to well-documented war crimes against the Armenians of Artsakh,” explained the EAFJD.
“The EU must take more concrete actions and use political pressure at the highest level in order to prevent the spreading of anti-Armenian hatred and racism by the Azerbaijani Authorities. And this begins by releasing all the Armenian POWs (Prisoners of War) and shutting down the so-called park of trophies,” added the EAFJD.
