The steps and declarations made by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan regarding the secret extradition of Azerbaijani army officer Ramil Safarov fromBudapesttoBaku, remind me of a eulogy at the gravesite of one that has already died.

The bluster and bravado exhibited by Sargsyan at an assembly of the foreign diplomatic corps inYerevanchanges nothing on the ground – Ramil Safarov is back inAzerbaijanand has been pardoned for his heinous crime.

The murderer of Gurgen Margaryan has become a living legend.

Safarov’s safe return to his native country has less to do with any conspiracy ofHungaryorBudapest’s betrayal of the norms of justice, than it does with the Armenian government’s near total lack of pro-activity on the issue.

Baku never attempted to conceal its ambition to get Safarov back. This was apparent as far back as 2004-2006 when Safarov’s murder trial was taking place. The ever-growing possibility that Safarov would be extradited had been raised by NGOs inArmeniaand by attorneys for the Margaryan family. They pointed out thatHungaryandAzerbaijanwere taking steps towards closer commercial and political ties.

All the while, officialYerevanhad nothing to say on the unfolding matter nor did it take specific steps to halt the process we have just witnessed.

In this context, President Sargsyan’s directives are restricted to the consequences of the incident; the man is attempting to put a brave face on what has transpired in order to justify the inaction and shortcomings of his own administration.

It’s no accident that Sargsyan not only condemns the Hungarian government for the extradition, justifiably viewing it as the consequence of a political transaction, but he also severs all diplomatic relations and contacts withBudapest.

Yes, after what has happened, it is vital to demand an explanation fromBudapest, especially about the secret extradition of the criminal.

But, for the most part,Hungaryhas done nothing that it can be held accountable for in terms of international law. It has acted according to international treaties it has signed on to, especially the 1983 Strasbourg Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons.

This document permits it to conduct the extradition. It also allowsBakuto free itself from carrying out the obligations imposed by the Hungarian court.

All of this was well known inArmenia. This is the main neglected proof thatHungarycould one day take such a step.

So what is Sargsyan now demanding from the international community – mutual understanding or pressure on Baku? And what will it give other than some disillusioned steps at face-saving?

No one on the outside is really interested as to what will happen to Safarov. I mean, no one was all that interested back in February 2004 right after the murder; not even NATO.

After all, it was at a NATO military exercise that Margaryan was murdered but the military alliance avoided any political evaluation, and thus, by encouraging Baku’s anti-Armenian stance and freeing the hands of member state Hungary, facilitating the despicable transaction between the two some eight years later.

It was this indifference that paved the way for Aliyev to make such hysterical anti-Armenian statements at the opening session of Euronest   a few months later inBaku.

To construct your entire tactics only on the assurances of Europeans who can’t see beyond their noses means that one has not only failed to learn the lessons of history, but that one has no diplomatic corps to speak of as well as no national security or administrative network.

Instead,Armeniashould have crafted a comprehensive diplomatic, public relations and political environment that would have madeHungarythink twice before taking such a step and which would have prevented the United Nations, NASTO, OSCE and especially the European Union from attempting to close their eyes.

But it would seem thatArmenia’s authorities can only launch such a total PR campaign and pressure against its own population.

When the issue comes down to inter-governmental relations and politics,Armeniais transformed into a docile servant.

And we have seen the result.