BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 21. Attacks on the diplomatic missions of Azerbaijan abroad have taken place recently, Trend reports.
An attack on Azerbaijani Embassy in London occurred on August 5. Members of a radical religious group broke into the building of the diplomatic corps, rioted there, and chanted radical religious slogans. Interestingly, a British police officer in charge of securing the outside of the building wasn't present at the time. Despite the fact that after Azerbaijan's official statements about the need for a comprehensive investigation of the attack on the embassy, British law enforcement agencies detained eight people, this doesn't relieve British officials of responsibility, which, according to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, is obliged to protect diplomatic missions.
After the tension on the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Armenian organizations began systematic provocations against Azerbaijan. Members of the ultra-nationalist Armenian National Committee of America, Armenian Youth Federation and other Armenian organizations attempted to hold a rally in front of the Azerbaijani embassy in Washington on September 15. The participants of the action were 'greeted' in front of the embassy with the performance of the Azerbaijani anthem, military marches and posters with the slogans 'Karabakh is Azerbaijan!'. In addition, the alarm system installed by the embassy violated the plans of the protesters, who tried to chant their slogans. So after a while, they had to retreat from the territory. All this time, American police didn't react in any way to the attempts of the Armenian nationalists, although, according to the Vienna Convention, the US authorities are obliged to organize the protection of the Azerbaijani embassy.
And the other day Armenian radicals attacked the Azerbaijani embassy in France. An employee of a diplomatic mission risking his life, managed to prevent the infiltration of Armenian radicals into the building, while the French police should be guarding the diplomatic missions. After this incident, Azerbaijani ambassador to France Rahman Mustafayev expressed his opinion on his Twitter page.
“Emmanuel Macron doesn’t protect embassies and ignores the fundamental demands for security, which is a shame for France,” he stated.
Where was the French police at this time, which is obliged to protect the embassy according to the Vienna convention?
French Ambassador to Azerbaijan Zacharie Gross was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and he was handed a note of protest. Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov informed the ambassador that the attack by a group of radical representatives of the Armenian diaspora was demonstratively accompanied by a gross violation of French laws and generally accepted norms of international law. During the attack, material damage was caused to the embassy building, and its activities and the lives of employees were endangered. Zacharie Gross expressed his regret over the incident involving the Azerbaijani embassy. In accordance with the request of the Azerbaijani side, steps will be taken to give an appropriate legal assessment of the incident.
The safety of diplomatic representatives must be ensured by the host country according to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. However when it comes to the safety of Azerbaijani embassies in the USA, France and Britain the relevant points of the convention don’t work and mentioned states aren’t interested in implementing them. The question arises: what is the reason for the strange indifference of the authorities of these states toward the diplomatic missions of Azerbaijan? How is it that these countries aren’t able to provide security for the Azerbaijani embassy?
From the attitude of Azerbaijani officials towards the protection of diplomatic missions of foreign states in the country, it's clear that Azerbaijan, as in all matters, is guided by international conventions in matters of protection of embassies, and responsibly treats mutual obligations. And Azerbaijan has the right to demand the same attitude from the authorities of the countries in which its diplomatic corps is represented. Let's hope that the acts of vandalism committed against the embassies of Azerbaijan will be properly investigated and a legal assessment will be given to these incidents. Otherwise, such situations may recur. And this would be a serious blow to bilateral relations and mutual trust between Azerbaijan and the countries where provocations were committed.