In Argentina, Azerbaijani Ambassador Makes Anti-Armenian Statements

In Argentina, the ambassadors of Turkey and Azerbaijan have made anti-Armenian statements. They were supported by former ambassadors of Argentina in those countries, emphasizing that they express their personal opinions, not the stance of Buenos Aires.

During a public event, the ambassadors of Turkey and Azerbaijan in Argentina allowed yet another round of anti-Armenian remarks. This was reported by the news outlet Diario Armenia of the Armenian community in Argentina.

The event, titled “The Caucasus and Central Asia Region,” was organized by the university of Quilmes and took place in the Argentine Parliament. Attendees included the current ambassadors of Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia in Argentina, as well as former Argentine ambassadors to Turkey and Azerbaijan. The Georgian ambassador, Irakli Kurashvili, maintained a neutral position, while the others made several anti-Armenian statements.

In this regard, Azerbaijani ambassador Rashad Aslanov stated that Armenia poses a threat to the stability of the region. The subject was elaborated on by Carlos Riva, a former ambassador of Argentina to Azerbaijan, who declared that Argentina supports a peaceful resolution of the conflict based on the principle of territorial integrity. At the same time, he stressed that he is expressing his personal opinion (neither the Argentine leadership nor the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the republic has made such statements).

Moreover, the former Argentine ambassador in Turkey, Julían Tetamanti, asserted that the Armenian question is "a stumbling block in the development of relations between the two countries."

Argentine ambassador to Turkey, Vural Altay, delivered an extensive speech. He initially remembered to mention that Turkey supports the territorial integrity of Georgia and Azerbaijan. However, he failed to mention that Turkey supports illegal formations in Cyprus and Serbia.

He then addressed the Armenian question, claiming that Armenia utilizes the issue of the Armenian Genocide for political manipulation and to pressure Turkey. Altay then turned his focus to the Armenian community in Argentina. Here he completely lost diplomatic restraint and shifted to a rhetoric familiar from Ottoman logic: “They obstruct us; therefore, they should not exist.”

“It is well-known that the fourth-largest Armenian community in the world exists in Argentina, after Russia, the USA, and France. The Armenian community remains very active. They continue to block our bilateral relations,” the diplomat stated.