But this is very strange: Azerbaijani official criticizes Armenian delegation at PACE

The spring session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has begun in Strasbourg. During yesterday's plenary session, a debate took place among Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Turkish delegates.

Edward Aghajanyan, a member of the Armenian delegation at PACE and a MP from the 'Civil Contract' faction of the Armenian National Assembly, was the first to speak. He accused Azerbaijan of taking advantage of the situation in Ukraine and subjecting residents of border villages in Artsakh to psychological pressure and physical threats since February this year. In this context, Aghajanyan recalled the cessation of gas supply to Artsakh, emphasizing the fact that the population is facing a humanitarian crisis. Nonetheless, he stated that Armenia continues to adhere to the idea of establishing peace in the region.

Following him, Vladimir Vardanyan, another member of the Armenian delegation and MP from the 'Civil Contract' faction, addressed the Armenian Genocide, reminding that on April 24, the day of remembrance for the victims of the Genocide, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu showed the symbol of the 'Grey Wolves' to participants of a peaceful demonstration in Uruguay demanding recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Vardanyan asserted that this behavior hinders the improvement of Armenian-Turkish relations and the building of trust between the two nations' societies. According to him, it is unacceptable that a former president of PACE allowed himself to make such a radical gesture.

Then, Samad Seyidov, a member of the Azerbaijani delegation, spoke, stating that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have agreed on a peace agenda. He noted that the current situation has provided a 'golden opportunity' for establishing peace. 'But this is very strange: I experience cognitive dissonance because your Prime Minister has stated that we agree with Azerbaijan's proposals; we are ready to accept Azerbaijan's proposals, whereas now representatives of the Armenian delegation at PACE are speaking against their Prime Minister's position. They are speaking against the national interests of Armenians who want to see peace in the region,' said the Azerbaijani official, adding that it is now time to build trust and reconcile between Armenians and Azerbaijanis.