Azerbaijan calls on France to refrain from statements inciting further 'provocations' from Armenia

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Baku on Thursday called on Paris to refrain from statements inciting further "provocations" from Armenia, following an attack on Azerbaijani military positions by Yerevan on Tuesday.

“The statement of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs on April 12, supporting Armenia in connection with the provocation of the Armenian side on April 11 against our positions located in the direction of the Lachin region, does not reflect reality,” a statement by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry read.

The statement said that France, while acting as a mediator in the conflict between Baku and Yerevan under the OSCE Minsk Group for nearly 25 years, did not try to resolve the conflict between the two countries and carried out "a smear campaign” against Azerbaijan after the liberation of the Karabakh region.

Paris has once again demonstrated an "unfair" position with its statement, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said.

Stressing the importance of the unilateral respect to Armenia’s territorial integrity, while not calling on Yerevan to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, is an example of France’s bias against Baku, it added.

“We call on the French side to refrain from such statements that incite Armenia to further provocations and support revanchist forces,” the statement concluded.

Three Azerbaijani soldiers were killed on Tuesday during an attack by Armenian forces in the Lachin district of the East Zangezur region.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

In the fall of 2020, in 44 days of clashes, Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages, and settlements from Armenian occupation. The Russian-brokered peace agreement is celebrated as a triumph in Azerbaijan.