Outcry in Armenia as Azerbaijan Portrays Armenian Heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh as Caucasian Albanian

“The peace process is, of course, led by the parties, and we fully respect that. However, we are ready to be partners in supporting both governments and both countries in implementing very practical measures. In this region in particular, I believe we have been an important partner in mine clearance. This work, of course, helps create the conditions for people to safely return to their homes,” Grono said in a statement on Sunday, September 13.

While in Yerevan, Grono visited Matenadaran, Armenia’s Research Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, where she viewed “the rich collection of Armenian manuscripts and their history,” the Armenian Foreign Ministry said.

After the tour, Grono spoke to Armenian state-run media outlet Armenpress about her controversial post on X in which she said that “deeply diverging views and narratives persist, for instance on origins of some sites” in the region.

“I certainly do not contest the past Armenian presence and rich footprint in former conflict-affected areas in Karabakh. I could see it firsthand for the first time during the visit to Kalbajar and Aghdara districts last week,” Grono said.

Matenadaran’s head, Ara Khazmalyan also told FIP.am that all original manuscripts from Gandzasar were being kept in Yerevan in the institution.

The portrayal of Armenian heritage as Caucasian Albanian caused an outcry in Armenia, with questions raised over how genuine efforts in the peace process were.

Armenian authorities have generally refrained from commenting on the destruction of Armenian heritage in the region amidst the fragile peace process, but they responded to Hajiyev’s statements on Monday, calling them “unfounded.”

“The statements […] naturally, do not contribute or are not useful in the context of peace, apart from the fact that they are also unfounded,” Armenian Parliamentary Speaker Ruben Rubinyan said.

However, underscoring the importance of the peace process, Rubinyan added: “It is good that we are now in a state of peace, and our disagreements or disputes are about such issues, rather than being expressed through border shootings or clashes.”

Similarly, several Armenian members of the Peace Bridge Initiative between Armenia and Azerbaijan, who have conducted several mutual visits as part of the peace process, expressed concern over the “presentation” of Armenian cultural heritage.

“Building peace requires difficult and honest conversations, attention to each other’s concerns, and a conscious effort to avoid actions that may reopen wounds or reinforce hostility. We therefore call on all actors involved in the peace process to act with the responsibility required at this moment and to refrain from statements and actions that may be perceived as unconstructive,” the statement read.

In turn, political analyst and Regional Center for Democracy and Security head Tigran Grigoryan, who is originally from Nagorno-Karabakh, argued in a CivilNet op-ed that the diplomats were taken to the region to “add another layer of legitimization to the ethnic cleansing,” referring to the mass exodus of the Armenian population following Azerbaijan’s final offensive in 2023.

Grigoryan said it was particularly troubling that countries and institutions that had been “heavily involved” in mediating the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and had “repeatedly insisted that there could be no military solution to the conflict” visited Victory Park in Stepanakert, which he described as “a marble expression of [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev’s megalomania and a primary monument to the ethnic cleansing.”

The park itself was built on the site of a historic neighborhood in the city, later completely destroyed by Azerbaijan.

He also criticized the diplomats for allowing themselves to be used in what he described as Azerbaijan’s “historical revisionism.”

(This story originally appeared on www.oc-media.org on September 14.)