Azerbaijan Summons Belgian, Dutch Ambassadors Over Resolutions Criticizing Baku

Baku Accuses Western Parliaments of Bias, Says Moves Threaten Sovereignty and Undermine Peace Process in South Caucasus

BAKU (SPUTNIK) — Azerbaijan escalated its diplomatic standoff with Europe on Monday, summoning the ambassadors of Belgium and the Netherlands in a forceful response to parliamentary resolutions that Baku says are grounded in “false narratives” and represent direct interference in its internal affairs.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry confirmed that Belgian Ambassador Julien de Fraipont and Dutch Ambassador Marianne de Jong were called in separately, where officials issued a strong protest against measures adopted by the two European parliaments on April 16.

At the center of the dispute are European criticisms of Azerbaijan’s handling of former leaders of ethnic Armenian authorities in the Karabakh region. The resolutions reportedly called for their release and condemned Azerbaijan’s military actions, claims that Baku has categorically rejected.

A Direct Clash Over Sovereignty

Azerbaijani officials framed the resolutions as part of a broader pattern of Western political pressure, accusing European lawmakers of distorting facts and undermining the country’s sovereignty.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the parliamentary documents are based on utterly false and unfounded assessments and reflect a deeply rooted anti-Azerbaijani bias.

Officials went further, describing the resolutions as a gross violation of international law and a blatant interference in the rule of law.

During the meetings, Azerbaijani diplomats rejected allegations that the detained individuals were being held unlawfully, insisting instead that their cases had been handled through legitimate judicial processes.

Europe’s Criticism and the Karabakh Question

The European resolutions come against the backdrop of the long-running Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, a region internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but historically populated by ethnic Armenians.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the region became the focal point of a prolonged conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenian forces established control over Karabakh and surrounding territories, leading to decades of frozen tensions.

That status quo shifted dramatically in 2020, when Azerbaijan regained significant territory during a six-week war, altering the balance of power in the region.

The balance changed again in September 2023, when a military operation that restored full control over Karabakh was launched. The operation lasted less than a day but triggered a mass exodus of ethnic Armenians.

Peace Process Under Pressure

The diplomatic clash comes at a particularly sensitive moment in the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process, with multiple global actors involved in mediation efforts.

In 2023, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signaled readiness to recognize Azerbaijan’s sovereignty within its Soviet-era borders, including Karabakh, a move widely seen as a turning point.

Azerbaijan now argues that external political interventions, particularly from European institutions, risk destabilizing that fragile progress.

The Azerbaijani parliament has also condemned what it described as biased resolutions of Belgian and Dutch parliaments, warning that such actions could damage the peace process.

A Broader East-West Divide

Beyond the immediate dispute, the episode highlights a widening geopolitical divide between Western institutions and emerging regional powers across Eurasia.

Azerbaijan’s response reflects a broader trend in which countries are pushing back against what they view as selective Western criticism and politicized narratives.

Officials in Baku have increasingly framed such actions as attempts to influence regional dynamics at a time when new economic corridors are reshaping Eurasian connectivity.

For now, Baku’s message appears unambiguous: external criticism, especially when framed in political terms, will be met with firm resistance.

As negotiations continue, the latest diplomatic escalation underscores how unresolved tensions, both local and geopolitical, continue to shape the fragile balance in the South Caucasus.