Pashinyan and Aliyev Agree That International Journalists Have No Right to Visit Artsakh: M. Minasian

The former Armenian ambassador to the Holy See, Mikael Minasian, made a post on his Telegram channel, stating that he received a call from a friend close to the Elysee Palace the day before. The friend sought to inquire about a delegation that had arrived in Armenia from France for the purpose of visiting Artsakh, of which the media has provided almost no information.

Minasian noted that some days ago, a group of journalists and public figures, led by a former mayor of France, arrived in Armenia with the intention of visiting Artsakh to see for themselves what was happening there. According to the former ambassador, after receiving official accreditation, the delegation set off for Stepanakert. However, Russian peacekeepers in Lachin prevented them from continuing their journey, claiming that they were "entering Azerbaijani territory, thus the accreditation received in Armenia is invalid and they need to obtain accreditation from Azerbaijan."

As Minasian points out, the delegation was unable to do anything and returned to Yerevan, to the French embassy. The French ambassador in Armenia, Jonathan Lacote, established informal contact with Pashinyan to try to understand what was happening. Pashinyan informed him that during the tripartite negotiations held in Moscow on January 11, it was agreed that representatives of international media should obtain Azerbaijani accreditation and that it is better not to interfere in these matters.

According to Minasian, Lacote had no alternative but to remain silent. “Lacote's silence is very telling. More offensively, it is expected. The French ambassador has remained silent throughout this period. The ambassador from a co-chair country of the OSCE Minsk Group remained silent when Nikol was establishing parallel communications with Aliyev, he remained silent when Nikol torpedoed the negotiation process with his statements, he remained silent when the war began, he remained silent when Nikol refused military assistance from France during the war. The ambassador of a country that has conveyed the values of freedom, equality, and brotherhood to the world remained silent in April 2018, silent when the crowd dispersed the legally elected parliament, silent when courts were surrounded, silent when the revolutionary government insulted opponents, silent when the revolutionary government violated human rights. And he remains silent now as Nikol suffocates the media.

I recalled the meeting with Jonathan Lacote during dinner at the American ambassador's residence, where we discussed the importance of freedom of speech and that the media are a vital element of a democratic society. And most importantly, they were not arguing but agreeing,” Minasian wrote.