Azerbaijan accuses France of bias in the South Caucasus

Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the responses by France's National Assembly to questions from its members, describing them as 'biased and partial.' The ministry argued that Paris, instead of contributing to the peace process in the region, is encouraging revisionist tendencies by arming Armenia.

Scraper SystemJune 25, 2026, 06:19 PM

Azerbaijan accuses France of bias in the South Caucasus

Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs sharply criticized the responses given to questions from members of the National Assembly by France's Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs on June 23. The ministry stated that these responses are a new example of the long-standing biased approach towards the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization process.

Ayhan Hajizade, head of the Press Service of Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement on the matter that France's claims are 'groundless,' using the following words: "The French side's responses are another example of its long-standing biased approach towards the normalization process of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia."

Reaction to France's double standard

Hajizade emphasized that while France's responses extensively covered Armenia's security and 'Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh,' it was regrettable that issues such as Armenia's approximately 30-year occupation, the destruction caused during this period, over one million Azerbaijanis becoming forced migrants and refugees, the fate of missing persons, and the mine threat originating from Armenia were not addressed.

Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized France for positioning itself as a supporter of the peace process while placing special emphasis on defense cooperation with Armenia and promoting the activities of the European Union Mission (EUMA). The statement said: "France's expansion of military cooperation with Armenia, arming it, and displaying a unilateral political stance in the region does not serve peace. On the contrary, such steps encourage revisionist tendencies and deal a blow to the normalization process."

Response to 'Armenian prisoners' claims

The statement noted that France's claims regarding 'Armenian prisoners and detained persons' do not reflect reality, adding that political manipulations and attempts to question court decisions are unacceptable. It stated that individuals of Armenian origin are held responsible for specific criminal acts under Azerbaijan's national legislation and international law, while separatist leaders have been convicted and are serving sentences for war crimes, ethnic cleansing, military attacks, torture, and other serious crimes.

Azerbaijan described France's comments on 'Armenian cultural and religious heritage' as 'ridiculous,' given that France ignores the destruction of Azerbaijan's cultural heritage, the demolition of mosques, and acts of vandalism in Armenia and formerly occupied territories.

Criticism of Paris on human rights

The ministry's statement said it was surprising that France, which is remembered for numerous political corruption cases, police violence, harsh dispersal of protesters, pressure on journalists, violations of migrant rights, religious discrimination, and violent incidents in its overseas territories including New Caledonia, is trying to lecture Azerbaijan on human rights.

Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the responses of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs once again show that Paris still struggles to accept the realities in the region and continues to adhere to outdated and unilateral political approaches instead of contributing to strengthening peace in the South Caucasus. The statement noted that this situation deals a serious blow to both France's authority in the region and its image as a reliable partner.

Azerbaijan accuses France of bias in the South Caucasus