Event Overview

On November 30, the Lower House of the French Parliament adopted another resolution critical of Azerbaijan. The French government said that the resolution does not reflect the government's official position. At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan rejected the resolution.

The document criticizes "Azerbaijan's military aggression against Armenia and violation of its sovereignty on September 13-14." French parliamentarians call for "an end to the military occupation of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia by Azerbaijan and the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops." The Lower House calls for strict adherence to the terms of the tripartite declarations of November 9, 2020, and January 11, 2021. It suggests that the French government work with the UN send international forces capable of ensuring the cessation of hostilities and the safety of the civilian population in the South Caucasus. The resolution criticizes Russia, which cannot ensure Armenia's security, and ignores calls for military assistance within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization of Armenia.

"President and Parliament of France, do not overstep your bounds!"

During his speech at the plenary session of the Azerbaijani Parliament held on December 2, Ziyafat Asgarov, the chairman of the Defense, Security, and Anti-corruption Committees of the Parliament, said, "President and Parliament of France, don't overstep your bounds!"

He noted that France has always been hypocritical: "When I read the text of the resolution, I noticed that the text is a copy. Armenians have left no stone unturned in the occupied territories for thirty years. What Armenian monument is there in Karabakh? They talk about security. In thirty years, we had one million refugees and displaced people. Why did they not raise a voice about their rights? This is your democracy?" 

Asgarov added that France has established five republics so far, but it has not been able to reform itself: "Animosity, Islamophobia, Turkophobia, anti-Semitism again. Why do not you let the peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan continue? What is your goal? Look at your history. They accuse Azerbaijan of destroying the historical monument. It is all slander and lies. They occupied 50 countries, from Vietnam to Africa. France imposes taxes on 14 African countries to fund their national budgets. Is this justice? Know and be aware; do not overstep your bounds, French President and Parliament. Know that Karabakh is Azerbaijan!" he concluded.

"There is no rush to cut off diplomatic relations completely"

Elshad Mirbashiroglu, a member of the Parliament, stated that when he saw the discussions about the resolution in the Parliament and read the groundless accusations against Azerbaijan, he felt very sorry. "In other words, can a country's Parliament become a toy for some process? Indeed, it was felt that the French Parliament was voicing the direct dictates of the Armenian diaspora: obvious bias and baseless accusations. There were also very dangerous calls. These calls can potentially strain relations with a sufficiently powerful state like Azerbaijan. This does not bode well for France itself as a whole."

The MP evaluated the suggestions of Azerbaijan cutting off diplomatic relations with France and imposing sanctions on France: "Of course, it is very important to take practical steps. But there is no rush to cut off diplomatic relations completely. We are a state capable of showing political restraint, and this is a step that corresponds to the character of the foreign policy of the Azerbaijani state. We can call on the countries that are members of the European Union to comment on the issue. What does the sanction include? Sanctions mean restrictions on economic, diplomatic, political, and military cooperation. Specifically, according to the calls of the Azerbaijani Parliament, it is important to limit economic cooperation with France. At this time, it is possible to impose restrictions on special areas of great importance for France."

"France misses opportunities to contribute to peace and stability in the South Caucasus"

Nigar Arpadarai, a member of the Parliament's International Relations and Inter-parliamentary Relations Committee, said, "France misses opportunities to contribute to peace and stability in the South Caucasus."

The MP noted that France, based on certain conjuncture interests, taking such steps harms its interests and does not help Armenia: "All this shows that France does not want to establish peace in our region. France does not help Armenia in this way either. If you remember, after the resolution adopted by the French Senate, the Milli Majlis [Parliament] made a very serious statement, calling for political and economic steps to be taken about France. We support the implementation of the provisions reflected in the statement."