French Government and Azerbaijan Comment on France's Lower House Resolution
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.
Answering the question about the attitude of the French government toward the two resolutions adopted by the Senate and then the National Assembly regarding Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs stated that the adopted resolution does not reflect the official position of the government and was adopted independently by the principle of separation of powers. "The position of the French government is known and has been stated many times by the minister, especially on November 29; that is, France continues to encourage the parties to move forward in these negotiations to take advantage of the opportunity to achieve peace. In this spirit, the President of the Republic brought together the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Prague. This meeting was a special reason for the placement of the European Union observation mission on the territory of Armenia," he said.
In the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, it is stated that provocative steps taken by France, including this resolution, and the resolution previously adopted by the Senate of this country, are firmly rejected. "This document, full of lies and slander adopted against Azerbaijan, aims to undermine the process of normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as the efforts to establish peace and tranquility in the region. This resolution, contrary to the norms and principles of international law, once again demonstrates France's biased political position and inability to act as a neutral and fair mediator," the report added.
"In particular, let's note that the fact that the representative of the French government supported the resolution at the hearings on the resolution shows once again that behind this resolution stands the French government, which has been openly speaking with anti-Azerbaijani initiatives on various platforms recently," the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated. The Ministry noted that France did not appreciate Armenia's aggression and occupation policy and therefore did not try to resolve the conflict, using the mediating role assigned to it for nearly 25 years as an excuse.