The Azerbaijani government’s narrative of “Western Azerbaijan” is a propaganda campaign aimed at rewriting history, justifying the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Armenians, and laying the groundwork for further territorial expansion into Armenia, stated Spanish Member of Parliament Jon Inarritu, according to Armenpress.
Inarritu condemned Azerbaijan’s efforts to push the “Western Azerbaijan” concept, which he said encompasses nearly the entire territory of Armenia. He argued that this narrative is being used to retroactively justify the forced displacement of the indigenous Armenian population from Artsakh, which followed Azerbaijan’s military offensive in September 2023.
“As we all know, Azerbaijan has begun a new propaganda campaign in an attempt to rewrite history with the so-called claim of ‘Western Azerbaijan,’” Inarritu stated. “This narrative’s goal is to justify the ethnic cleansing of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians and prepare grounds for a new invasion by calling Armenian lands ‘historic Azerbaijan.’”
The Spanish MP warned that such rhetoric is not merely symbolic but serves as a diplomatic and political tool to pressure the European Union into aligning with Baku’s geopolitical and economic interests—often tied to energy deals.
Inarritu also addressed Azerbaijan’s criticism of the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA), which was deployed in February 2023 to monitor the fragile situation along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Baku has repeatedly voiced opposition to the mission, despite its neutral and observational mandate.
“The EU monitoring mission is focused on overseeing the security situation along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and ensuring that international agreements are upheld to promote stability and prevent further conflict,” Inarritu explained. “In this regard, it is difficult to understand Azerbaijan’s concerns regarding the mission, especially for a country that presumably seeks to sign a peace treaty.”
The Spanish lawmaker suggested that Azerbaijan’s stance on EUMA may be influenced by external actors, specifically Turkey and Russia, which have their own strategic interests in the region.
“The mission isn’t meant to favor one side over the other, nor is it engaged in intelligence activities,” Inarritu said. “Its main goal is to contribute to the peaceful settlement of disputes, which, certainly, contradicts Azerbaijan’s attempts to once again invade Armenia.”
The concept of “Western Azerbaijan” is a relatively recent talking point in Azerbaijani political rhetoric, referring to Armenia’s territory as historically Azerbaijani land. This claim lacks historical and legal basis and has been widely dismissed by historians and political analysts. Critics argue that it is being used to legitimize expansionist ambitions, particularly following Azerbaijan’s military takeover of Artsakh in 2023.
