Eternal Flame: 11 years have passed, yet Armenian frustration over Azerbaijani diplomacy still burns strong

The main Armenian lobbying group in the United States, ANCA, has been in a state of hysteria for nearly a full day following the release of declassified documents revealing how the U.S. State Department—reportedly after intervention by the Azerbaijani side—halted a provocative 2014 visit to Karabakh by then-Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Ed Royce.

For years, the Armenian lobby pushed to organize a high-level American delegation visit to Karabakh—not just individual congressmen sneaking in the back of French mayors’ trucks, but officials with real political weight. ANCA had been especially persistent. In 2014, they nearly succeeded—until Azerbaijan stepped in. The State Department responded, and the trip was quietly scrapped.

Now, nearly 11 years later, and after the complete collapse of the Karabakh separatist project, ANCA has gone into full meltdown mode. The declassified documents triggered an outburst: accusations of “Azerbaijani lobbying,” claims that “John Podesta interfered,” and even cries of “illegal meddling in Congressional affairs.” To hear them tell it, it’s an international tragedy—practically diplomatic genocide.

What really seems to sting is that this incident is now cited as a clear example of “Azerbaijan’s diplomatic success.” Well, thanks for the acknowledgment. When diplomacy works, someone always gets burned—and this time, it wasn’t Azerbaijan.