Azerbaijan Condemns French Prime Minister’s Allegations as Baseless
Baku, The Gulf Observer: Baku has issued a staunch condemnation in response to what it perceives as unjustified and “anti-Azerbaijani allegations” made by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal during an annual event hosted by Armenian organizations in France. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its dismay at the remarks made by Prime Minister Attal, asserting that they are not reflective of the ground realities and are in direct contradiction to established norms and principles of international law.
In a commentary penned by Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada, published on Thursday, Baku reiterated its commitment to upholding international law and emphasized that its actions are fully compliant with the standards set forth by the international community. Hajizada highlighted that Azerbaijan’s measures, including its anti-terrorism operation in Karabakh, are in line with the resolutions adopted by the United Nations Security Council.
Furthermore, Hajizada denounced the assertions made by Prime Minister Attal regarding Azerbaijan’s alleged occupation of Armenian territories and the demand for the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces. He deemed these claims as baseless and pointed out the hypocrisy in France’s stance, highlighting its historical silence on Armenia’s prolonged aggression and occupation of Azerbaijani territories.
Azerbaijan expressed deep concern over the biased portrayal of the situation, particularly given Armenia’s continued occupation of eight Azerbaijani villages and its nearly three-decade-long aggression, which has resulted in significant human suffering and displacement.
The longstanding tensions between Baku and Yerevan date back to 1991 when Armenian military forces occupied Karabakh, a region recognized internationally as part of Azerbaijan, along with seven adjacent territories. Azerbaijan undertook significant military operations in the fall of 2020, resulting in the liberation of most of the occupied territories. The conflict reached a resolution following a Russian-brokered peace agreement, which also paved the way for normalization efforts.
Azerbaijan reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the region and emphasized its legitimate right to protect its territorial integrity and sovereignty. The successful anti-terrorism operation conducted by Azerbaijan in September 2023 enabled the restoration of full sovereignty in Karabakh, following the surrender of separatist forces in the region.
