Brussels Think Tank ESISC Reveals Investigation into "Armenian Connection" Network at Council of Europe

BRUSSELS, March 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The European Strategic Intelligence and Security Center (ESISC) on Monday published a comprehensive report (http://www.esisc.org/publications/analyses/11791)  uncovering an Armenian connection network inside the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) that "has led a merciless propaganda campaign against Azerbaijan to benefit Armenia."

The report, entitled "The Armenian Connection - How a Secret Caucus of MPs and NGOs, since 2012, Created a Network within the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to Hide Violations of International Law", states that "these unilateral and untruthful attacks are the tool of a hidden political agenda: to defend Armenia's illegal occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh" and to hide "private interests behind the purview of the 'defence of human rights'".

ESISC's CEO Claude Moniquet, a former French journalist and intelligence agent as well as the author of twenty books on intelligence, terrorism and security issues and history, noted that the work on the Azerbaijan-Armenia issue began a few years ago.

"The illegal occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh by Armenia is a real strategic issue," Moniquet said. "And even though the occupation was condemned by the United Nations and international community, we found it strange that Armenia continued to receive such important international support, while Azerbaijan became the target of so-called 'human rights violations', so we decided to investigate."

Providing facts, figures and photos, the 27-page ESISC investigation links certain members of PACE to Armenia or Armenian-linked organisations. "These dangerous politics that associate MPs and large NGOs must immediately stop," the report states.

The probe also condemns the report by the European Stability Initiative (ESI) entitled "Caviar Diplomacy", which accused Azerbaijan of corruption. "The publication of this report had only one goal: to create a climate of suspicion based on slander to form a network of MPs that would engage in a political war against Azerbaijan," according to ESISC's report.

"It is normal and healthy for civil society, represented by NGO, to participate in political debates and to associate with MPs from time to time," Moniquet said. "However, since 2012, we have witnessed the creation of a network that conspires against Azerbaijan, willing to destabilise the country with the end goal of dissimulating the illegal occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh."

"We hope that our work will counterbalance their influence and lead to a better understanding of strategic issues."

A second report into the "Armenian Connection" will be published by ESISC in the near future.

Source: ESISC (http://www.esisc.org) 

ESISC was established in 2002 in Brussels and specialises in the collection and analysis of all sources of intelligence in the areas of security, geopolitics, economy and due diligence. On the basis of intelligence collected, ESISC produces customised reports and analyses.