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Armenia says 100,000, but Borrell - 150,000: Why does EU High Representative exaggerate the number of Armenians who left Garabagh?

Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

05 December 2023 17:47 (UTC +04:00)

Josep Borrell, European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy once again included distorted and biased information in his speech about Garabagh, APA reports.

Joseph Borrell said that the number of conflicts resolved by force has increased during his speech at the 25th EU-NGO Forum for Human Rights.

Then, Borrell cited the happenings between Azerbaijan and Armenia as an example, exaggerating the number of Armenians as he claimed 150,000 Armenians left Garabagh.

“For instance, look at what happened in Azerbaijan and Armenia. The long-frozen conflict was suddenly - I wouldn't say resolved - but decisively resolved by a military intervention that displaced 150,000 people in a week. In a week. Thus, 150 thousands of people had to leave their homes and flee. The international community regretted it, expressed concern, sent humanitarian support, but this (solution) happened through force," Borrell said.

It is unclear what or to whom the EU's top diplomat shared these figures. So, this does not coincide with the figures presented by the official Yerevan on the number of people who migrated from Garabagh to Armenia after the anti-terrorist measures. According to the information of the Armenian government, after September 19, approximately 100,000 people from Garabagh crossed to Armenia.

It is incomprehensible what Joseph Borrell is trying to achieve by adding 50,000 people to the figures presented by the Armenian government. Probably, this number will become a reference for pro-Armenian officials of the EU, biased deputies of the European Parliament, and "human rights defenders" (additions are not an exception). Today, an analogy is observed between the fact of the exaggeration of the number of Armenians who moved from Garabagh by the head of the EU foreign policy institute and the exaggeration of the numbers regarding the policy of displacement (relocation) carried out due to the Armenian uprisings during the Ottoman Empire. For example, in the first quarter of the last century, it was reported that the number of Armenians who were transferred from the eastern provinces of the Ottoman Empire to the Good East was about 200,000 people. Over time, these figures were further exaggerated, 300,000, 500,000, 1 million, and finally, 2 million Armenians were claimed and began to be presented as an act of "genocide carried out by the state".

In his speech, the High Representative of the EU, in addition to including distorted information, also claimed that the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict has not been resolved. The alliance, which operates within the scope of interest of various European countries (primus inter pares), is probably worried about the loss of leverage in the region due to the solution of the problem. Probably, Borrell is trying to create additional pressure on the official Baku in the future by exaggerating the scale of the migration issue from Garabagh. However, in any case, these attempts cast a shadow over the sincerity of the EU's mediation efforts, as in the case of France.

At this point, it is worth reminding that 76-year-old Borrell, who said that "150,000" people have moved, has never been seen speaking about the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, the forced displacement of Azerbaijanis from Garabagh, and the territory of Armenia at any event during his 45 years of political activity. This attitude suggests that the EU is one-sided and biased towards Azerbaijan. Today, the head of the EU's foreign policy, who is looking for alternative energy sources and alternative corridors, is purposefully trying to spoil the relations with Azerbaijan with his rhetoric. It does not meet the common interests of the EU.