On February 24, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry responded to statements made by French Ambassador to Armenia Olivier Decottignies, accusing him of misrepresenting Azerbaijan's actions and displaying a biased stance on regional issues.

The Ministry criticized Decottignies for allegedly distorting Azerbaijan’s efforts to end occupation and separatism within its internationally recognized territories. It condemned his accusations that Azerbaijan occupies Armenian lands, his support for what Baku calls Armenia’s "incomplete peace" narrative, and his misinterpretation of International Court of Justice rulings. According to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, these remarks reflect France’s biased approach to regional realities and a lack of genuine interest in fostering lasting peace.

Baku also rejected Decottignies's assertion that a peace treaty should be based on the Almaty Declaration, arguing that it ignores Armenia’s ongoing territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Additionally, the Ministry criticized the ambassador’s suggestion that Azerbaijan should offer concessions in exchange for the return of four villages in Gazakh, which Armenia has occupied for 33 years, calling it a disregard for international law. The Ministry concluded that if France truly seeks peace and stability, it must abandon what it described as "unfounded and counterproductive statements."

Earlier, Decottignies had clarified that Nagorno-Karabakh was never recognized as a state by the international community or even by Armenia itself. He stated that Armenia has acknowledged Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan since the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration, which defined Soviet republic borders. He dismissed claims that this recognition occurred only in Prague in 2022, arguing that Prague merely reaffirmed the Alma-Ata framework.

Addressing legal cases in Azerbaijan against former Nagorno-Karabakh leadership, Decottignies expressed concerns about terrorism-related charges but noted that Nagorno-Karabakh is not classified as a terrorist entity by the EU. He also stated that while France has limited influence in Azerbaijan, other countries with closer ties to Baku could play a constructive role in resolving the ongoing trials.