MOSCOW (Reuters) – Azerbaijan’s president has criticized the European Union (EU) and expressed concern that France’s decision to provide military aid to Armenia could lead to a new conflict in the South Caucasus. This comes after a swift military operation by Azerbaijan last month.
Last week, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan withdrew from a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan which was mediated by the EU. Despite this, the EU stated its support for Armenia. During a phone call with EU Council President Charles Michel, Aliyev highlighted his dissatisfaction with the EU’s approach, particularly France’s role, according to a statement issued by Azerbaijan on Saturday.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that “due to France’s well-known position, Azerbaijan did not participate in the meeting in Granada,” as stated by the Azerbaijani presidential office. Aliyev further emphasized that France’s provision of weapons to Armenia was not promoting peace but rather encouraging a new conflict. He warned that if a new conflict were to arise in the region, France would bear responsibility for it.
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna announced on October 3, during her visit to Yerevan, that France had reached future agreements with Armenia to supply military equipment for defense purposes. However, she did not provide details on the type of military aid mentioned in these agreements. French President Emmanuel Macron rebuked Azerbaijan, suggesting that Baku had issues complying with international law.
Last month, Aliyev successfully regained control over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh through a 24-hour military operation. This operation caused the majority of the territory’s 120,000 ethnic Armenians to flee to Armenia. Aliyev justified his actions by asserting they were in accordance with international law. He also highlighted that there were eight villages in Azerbaijan still under Armenian occupation and emphasized the importance of liberating them.
(Reporting by Reuters, Editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
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