Armenian National Committee of Greece Expresses Dissatisfaction With Greek Ambassador’s Visit to Shushi

Following the visit of Ambassador Nikolaos Piperigos’ visit to areas of historically-demographically Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh that are under Azerbaijani occupation, the Armenian community in Greece made a strong protest to Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias.

Piperigos, who was silent during the handing over ceremony of his credentials when Azerbaijani dictator Ilham Aliyev made it clear that his country supports Turkey in the East Mediterranean, decided to join a propaganda tour to the occupied territories.

The Armenian National Committee of Greece sent an open letter to Dendias, expressing the anger of Greece’s Armenian community.

“Dear Minister,

With surprise and great discomfort we learned of the participation of the Ambassador of Greece to Azerbaijan Mr. Nikolaos Piperigkou in a provocative celebration organised by the Aliyev regime and included other diplomats accredited in Azerbaijan in the Armenian-occupied town Shushi in Artsakh.

Following literally Ankara’s demands and similar provocative fiestas organised by Erdogan in occupied Cyprus, the President of Azerbaijan invited representatives of states to ‘celebrate’ with him.

To celebrate what?

The hateful work of Azerbaijan that continues to violate the agreements and invade the sovereign territory of Armenia?

Or to ‘honour’ a dictator who still illegally holds Armenian soldiers and civilian Prisoners of War after the end of the catastrophic war in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)?

“It was no coincidence that the countries of the Minsk Group (Russia, the United States and France), as well as Germany and the United Kingdom, refused to abstain from the shameful fiesta, which was intended to disorient public opinion from the horrific crimes of Azerbaijan and the European Parliament’s catapult resolution, which on May 20 by an overwhelming majority set a strong framework, criticising Azerbaijan for its criminal practices against Armenia and Artsakh.

Unfortunately, the semiology of the whole event had multiple messages, to which Greece should be the first to react, since the fiesta was organised inside the sanctuary of the historic Gazanchetsots Church, with a decayed dome and vandalised conversions reminiscent of similar practices applied in the case of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.

We believe that the presence of the representatives of the states, but mainly of Greece, encourages the outrageous and arrogant regime of President Aliyev.

Afterall, the memories from the shameful statements of the President of Azerbaijan against Greece, during the presentation of Mr. Piperigo’s credentials in Baku, are fresh.

The Armenian National Committee, as well as the Armenian Community of Greece as a whole, express their strong dissatisfaction with the participation of the representative of our country in this parody.

You know very well that Azerbaijan, by faithfully copying its mentor, is grossly violating the rules of international law. What is the purpose of the support provided by Greece in this critical time?

Armenia considers Greece as her most important ally. We want to believe that the same is true for Greece.

Yours sincerely,

Armenian National Committee of Greece

Athens, July 12, 2021.”