Armenian Lawmaker Accuses Azerbaijan of Using Prague Exhibit to Advance Territorial Claims

An Armenian opposition lawmaker has accused Azerbaijan of using a public exhibition in the heart of Prague to advance territorial claims and recast Armenian cultural heritage as Azerbaijani, warning that such campaigns are gaining traction while Armenia remains largely silent on the international stage.

Lilit Galstyan, a member of Armenia's National Assembly, said Azerbaijani organizations recently staged an open-air exhibition in Prague's central square featuring historical photographs from Artsakh and Armenia. According to her, the images were presented as evidence of the Azerbaijani people's historical cultural presence in their so-called "historical homeland."

Galstyan argued that the exhibition is part of a broader state-backed effort to promote the "Western Azerbaijan" narrative beyond the region. The concept, widely advanced by Azerbaijani officials in recent years, asserts historical claims to parts of modern-day Armenia and has been strongly rejected by Yerevan.

She said Azerbaijan is no longer limiting its campaign to political messaging but is also attempting to claim Armenian historical and cultural heritage in international public spaces.

"The erasure of the Armenian trace has become official state policy in Azerbaijan," Galstyan said, arguing that the campaign is directed from the country's highest levels of government.

Galstyan also directed sharp criticism at Armenia's leadership, saying the government has failed to prioritize key national issues in its foreign policy. She argued that the return of Armenian prisoners and other detainees held in Azerbaijan, the protection of Artsakh's cultural and religious heritage, and the right of displaced Artsakh Armenians to return have disappeared from the country's diplomatic agenda.

She further claimed that Armenian officials have not forcefully raised allegations of the destruction and appropriation of Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh at international forums. Galstyan also criticized the government's ongoing confrontation with the Armenian Apostolic Church, describing it as an attack on one of the country's core national institutions.

According to Galstyan, Azerbaijan has adopted an increasingly assertive diplomatic strategy while Armenia has become preoccupied with internal political disputes. She alleged that opposition figures are facing growing pressure at home even as Azerbaijan expands its international campaign to legitimize its narrative about Artsakh.

Galstyan warned that the consequences extend beyond historical interpretation. She argued that the "Western Azerbaijan" concept is increasingly being projected onto Armenia's internationally recognized territory, calling it a direct challenge that should not be ignored.

"The concept of 'Western Azerbaijan' has already entered our own lands," Galstyan.

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