France Can No Longer Participate in the Peace Process Between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Aliyev Says

Just a week after the meeting in Prague, French President Macron criticized Azerbaijan in an interview, accusing them of something they did not do. This was followed by the well-known resolution from the French Senate, which is absolutely unacceptable and insulting. Another anti-Azerbaijani resolution from the French National Assembly is expected, along with an attempt by France to launch a new offensive against us through the Francophonie summit. This is unacceptable, as Francophonie is a humanitarian organization.

These statements were made by President Ilham Aliyev at the international conference titled 'Along the Middle Corridor: Geopolitics, Security, and Economy.' The country’s leader stated that the Azerbaijani side has the original text composed by France in tandem with Armenia, which, according to him, is filled with accusations and insinuations.

“But we have friends in Europe. Thus, this anti-Azerbaijani resolution is a formal matter. Considering all of this, it is clear that France can no longer participate in the peace process. And this is not our fault, but theirs, since neither the USA nor Russia has ever taken an official side. This means that the meeting on December 7 will not take place, and we will consider other alternatives. Let’s see who and on what platform will act as a mediator,” Ilham Aliyev said.

He emphasized that he considers Prime Minister Pashinyan's condition to participate in the Brussels meeting as an 'attempt to disrupt peaceful negotiations.'

It is noteworthy that on November 15, the French Senate adopted a resolution with a vote of 295 in favor and 1 against, calling for the government to impose sanctions on Azerbaijan. The document also urges Baku to withdraw its forces from the territory of Armenia and to guarantee that the status of the Lachin corridor remains unchanged, in accordance with the statement of November 9, 2020.