Recognition of Artsakh by Paris Will Benefit No One, Says French Foreign Ministry

The recognition of the Republic of Artsakh by Paris will benefit no one. This statement was made by Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, Secretary of State to the French Foreign Ministry, according to RIA Novosti.

“France’s unilateral recognition of Artsakh would not be beneficial for anyone—not for Armenia, not for the residents of Artsakh, not for France, not for the other co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, and not for Europe,” the official stated.

He noted that such a step would not reflect the policy of the French government, nor that of Yerevan or other partners in Paris.

It is worth mentioning that earlier, the Senate of the French Republic had adopted a draft resolution on the “Need for Recognition of the Republic of Artsakh.” The resolution includes the following key points:

1. It proposes that the government recognize the Republic of Artsakh,
2. It condemns the aggression carried out by Azerbaijan with the support of Turkey and foreign mercenaries and demands the withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from the territories occupied since September 27,
3. It calls on the government to make every possible effort to resume the negotiation process under the auspices of the Minsk Group, which will ensure the restoration of the borders established in 1994, the security of the Armenian population, the return of displaced persons, and will also protect the Armenian cultural and religious heritage.
4. The resolution states, referencing the Armenian massacres in Sumgait, Ganja, Baku, and Maragha, and touching on the reports of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), that it is impossible for the Armenian population to live in Azerbaijan.