Speaking at the annual conference of France's ambassadors abroad on August 29, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna stated that Azerbaijan is applying a strategy of strangulation to cause a mass exodus of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, which is illegal and immoral. 

"Paris will mobilize efforts to help create conditions for a just and long-term peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which would allow for the delimitation of borders in the region and give the people of Nagorno-Karabakh the opportunity to live there in an atmosphere of respect for their rights, culture, and history," the French diplomat noted.

"The strangulation strategy, which aims to cause a mass exodus of Armenians from Karabakh, is illegal, as confirmed by the UN International Court of Justice. Such behavior is immoral," she stressed.

On the same day, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stated that such statements of France's Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, which do not serve peace and stability in the region and show a one-sided pro-Armenian position, are unacceptable.

"Armenia's occupation of Azerbaijani lands for nearly 30 years, Armenia's policy of ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijanis, genocide and mass killings, the transformation of nearly 1 million Azerbaijanis into refugees and IDPs, and the trampling of their rights, the destruction and looting of Azerbaijani cities and villages, Azerbaijan's culture and turning a blind eye to facts such as the destruction of historical monuments, the failure to stop the military-political provocations carried out by Armenia after the 2020 war, and the complete withdrawal of its armed forces from the territories of Azerbaijan are examples of an illegal and immoral approach," the ministry added.

"Within the framework of the national legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan, efforts are being made to reintegrate the Armenian residents of the Karabakh region into the political, social, and economic spheres of our country, and it is completely wrong to make claims that the policy is being implemented in the direction of impeding these efforts, including the expulsion of the Armenian residents from the region," it concluded.