The French Senate passed a resolution on January 17, garnering 336 votes in favor and one against, calling for sanctions against Azerbaijan.

The resolution expresses support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Armenia. It denounces the military offensive conducted by Azerbaijan, backed by its allies, on September 19 and 20, 2023, in Nagorno-Karabakh. It additionally urges Azerbaijan to ensure the right of the Armenian population to return to Nagorno-Karabakh under conditions that guarantee their safety and well-being. It calls for the prompt and unconditional withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops and its allies from the sovereign territory of Armenia.

The resolution states that “Armenia has the right to protect its territorial integrity and possesses the means to ensure its security, including through military measures.”

It also denounces the arbitrary arrests of political leaders in Nagorno-Karabakh and advocates for the removal of Azerbaijan from the intergovernmental committee for the protection of cultural property in armed conflict. The measure outlines the creation of an international group of experts at UNESCO tasked with visiting Nagorno-Karabakh to compile an informative report on the condition of cultural and religious heritage.

Furthermore, the resolution urges stringent measures, such as the confiscation of assets belonging to Azerbaijani leaders and the imposition of an embargo on the import of gas and oil from Azerbaijan as a sanction in response to Azerbaijan’s military aggression.

In response, the Azerbaijani Parliament’s Committee on International Relations and Interparliamentary Ties issued a statement urging Baku to impose sanctions on France. The statement advocates for the freezing of the assets of French officials in Azerbaijan, discontinuing all economic relations with France, expelling all French companies from Azerbaijan, and barring the involvement of French companies in any projects initiated by Azerbaijan.