Kaspar Karampetian, President of the European Armenian Federation for Justice & Democracy (EAFJD), sent a letter to the European Council President Donald Tusk regarding the latter’s remarks on his visit to the South Caucasus from July 20 to 22, in which the EC leader said that Azerbaijan is a strategic partner to Europe, Asbarez reports.

In the letter, Karampetian reminded Tusk about European Union’s core values in dealing with authoritarian regimes, and specifically with Azerbaijan: “EU support for and cooperation with the Republic of Azerbaijan, including the ongoing negotiations for a Strategic Modernization Partnership, must be conditional on and include clauses relating to the protection and promotion of human rights…”

The letter mentions that the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy certainly welcomes the active role of the European Union in the region.

“EAFJD regrets however that with such statements the European Council is sending the wrong message to the people genuinely fighting for democratization, human rights in Azerbaijan and peace in the region. In a way it is legitimizing the politics of repression and hate-filled war rhetoric of the current Azerbaijani Government. It is also damaging the credibility of the European Union as an international actor in the region, turning the calls for respect for human rights and peace into mere words and showcasing that all this plays little role when it comes to cooperation,” the letter reads.