Azerbaijani envoy defends David Lammy after controversial ‘liberate’ remark
David Lammy, Elin Suleymanov
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The Azerbaijani Ambassador to Britain has defended Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who has come under fire for writing in a blog post about how Baku had been able to “liberate” the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Azerbaijan was widely condemned after violating a ceasefire agreement penned with Armenia after a 2020 flare-up in the long-running conflict.
Senior Tory MP Alicia Kearns said the term ‘liberate’ was “totally inappropriate.”
In a strident exclusive interview, ambassador Elin Suleymanov slammed “Miss Kearns” as taking her “talking points” directly from Armenia.
David Lammy came under fire for his comments regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh
Houses of Parliament
“The Foreign Secretary is absolutely correct, this is not only the view of the Foreign Secretary but the international community.”
“There are four UN Security Council resolutions which call for the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the territory of Azerbaijan.
“What we are talking about is the territory of Azerbaijan, which everyone recognises. The prime minister of Armenia says this is the territory of Azerbaijan.”
“He’s absolutely right, the lands have been liberated from illegal occupation, people are now going back.”
In reaction to Lammy’s use of the term “liberate”, Shadow FCDO Minister Alicia Kearns slammed Lammy’s “vanity blog” post.
“Words matter as Foreign Secretary, especially when opining on conflict,” she said, adding: “David Lammy needs to urgently clarify the Government’s policy on Nagorno-Karabakh.
This is a serious matter - over 100,000 people have been displaced from their homes.
Elin Suleymanov said he was “very concerned by the remarks of Alicia Kearns” and questioned her criticism of Lammy.
“She says that she supports the territorial integrity of the lands of Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, how is Azerbaijan any different?
“Why is it controversial when Azerbaijan restores its territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, which the United Kingdom recognises?”
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Elin Suleymanov said he was “very concerned by the remarks of Alicia Kearns” and questioned her criticism of Lammy
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He added: “When Miss Kearns says that David Lammy is representing a change in the government position, that’s simply not true. Even the Conservative government was generally supportive of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.”
In response to Kearns referring to 100,000 people being displaced, Suleymanov said: “Miss Kearns’s statement was apparently written by Armenian representatives obviously, the talking points are very clear, I don’t expect her to speak my talking points, but I don’t expect her to speak someone else’s.
“For 30 years, a million people were displaced, killed, and kicked out from the occupied land, she never expressed any concern, so equally I can say where was your concern for these people who cannot come back due to landmines today?”
He added: “The 100,000 she refers to — and I’m not sure this is a correct number — includes the occupying forces who were [there] illegally.
“We have offered every possible effort to let people stay. They have left because they think they cannot live together with Azerbaijanis. That is the problem. One day we may overcome it.”
Suleymanov continued: “I think it is unfortunate to react like that, it is an uninformed reaction based on quite deep-seated stereotypes and perceptions.
“If anyone looks a little bit deeper and acquaints themselves with the actual situation they would understand that this is a continuous process.”
Senior British ambassador Neil Holland said last year that Azerbaijan’s use of force was unacceptable and reaffirmed that Britain had urged a ceasefire in the long-running conflict.
Holland, the Head of the United Kingdom's Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, slammed Azerbaijan’s decision to commence a military operation in the region after a lull in violence.
Mr Suleymanov told GB News: “He was critical of a particular moment during last year. But the process overall, the United Kingdom has been generally rather supportive.”
Shadow FCDO Minister Alicia Kearns slammed Lammy’s “vanity blog” post
Houses of Parliament
“This used to be a classical example of a post-Soviet ethnic conflict fuelled on a basis of separatism, very similar to those in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, so I don’t understand the difference.”
Diplomatic sources told this broadcaster that the Armenian embassy was urgently seeking clarification from the Foreign Office on Lammy’s use of the term “liberate.”
Suleymanov said: “Why is the Armenian ambassador concerned about David Lammy talking about the lands of Azerbaijan?
“This remark is ironic by itself, this conservation has nothing to do with them. That is a very self-revealing comment. Seeking clarification on what? On my territory being restored to the international border? This is very telling by itself.”
He continued: “We have always been confident in our relationship with the UK, Britain is the largest foreign investor in the UK, we have a very strong partnership based on our mutual interest.
“It’s not that I’m happy or not [about Lammy’s use of the term ‘liberate’], he just said what is true.”
He said that “maybe a word or two” is different, but Lammy’s stance is a “consistent UK government position.”
“I genuinely always considered UK support to be consistent. Mr Lammy is just telling the truth. I myself know it is liberated, but what really matters is the consistency of our own policy working together.
“My Armenian colleague should focus on how to bring our countries together, not go after every word Mr Lammy says.”
A Conservative Party spokesperson said: “The Conservative Party’s position, as it was in government, is exactly as set out by our Shadow Minister, which is also the view of the majority of the international community.”