In the wake of the infamous resolution of the Senate of France, passed on 15 November 2022, the country’s National Assembly too made a biased political demarche against Azerbaijan on 30 November. Namely, an as biased, partial and unfair act was passed which demonstrates openly disrespect for international law standards and principles, and encroaches on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our state. The resolutions of France’s Senate and National Assembly herald the French legislatures’ transformation into arenas for political adventurism. We categorically denounce this resolution by the National Assembly as well; we look upon it as a paragon of political hypocrisy.

It is undeniable that all attempts to reach a peaceful settlement of the conflict throughout the almost 30 years of Armenian occupation of the lands of Azerbaijan had failed precisely because the aggressor state was not named so and because also the states having assumed the mediation mission, especially, France had given way to the use of double standards equating the invader state with the one subjected to the invasion. The relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council had not been acted upon as well. Not only was there a sheer inability to handle the Armenian State with due resolve as it was challenging the international rules, but, in some cases, it was even hallooed. It should be said with regret that, today, the provocative moves of the French state bodies including both chambers of her parliament come as blows to all endeavours to implement the peace agenda and normalise relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. All those moves serve the ends of the Armenian chauvinist ideology that bases itself on territorial claims to neighbouring states. In entirety, such actions inspire the revanchist and aggressively separatist forces whilst also pushing the region towards further hazards. France’s domestic political agenda that rests on populist views is inadmissible and so is the projection of certain lobbyist circles’ interests upon the South Caucasus.

The resolution does not mention a single time Armenia’s invasive policy against Azerbaijan that had lasted for thirty years and had never shunned from ethnic cleansing, the Khojali Genocide, the Azerbaijani towns having been bombarded with ballistic missiles during the 44 days’ War, the fact that 9 towns and more than 300 villages of our country had been reduced to rubble in the occupation period, the total mining and the mine terror policy as well as, last but not least, almost 4,000 of our compatriots reported missing and Armenia’s avoiding to disclose the locations of mass burial sites. All that indicates clearly enough that the resolution in question is nothing but a politically commissioned bagatelle.

On the other hand, France accuses Azerbaijan of war crimes against Armenia whereas the history of France herself is full of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The atrocities, crimes against humanity and war crimes perpetrated by France which had occupied the territories of more than 50 countries in various parts of the world, had pillaged their wealth and had kept their peoples in slavery for many years – those atrocities and crimes truly account for the darkest pages in human history. The French armed forces were committing mass murders of hundreds of thousands of civilians due to their ethnic and religious backgrounds during the colonial era. Also, they were involved in blatant slave trade. The genocidal evildoings remain an indelible stain on the political history of France.

To this day, France is not returning several territories categorised to be decolonised to their rightful owners. Quite on the contrary, France pursues a course for their annexation in the neo-colonialism spirit. It is irrefutable that racism, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism have reached their respective apexes in France. French politicians truly ought to bear in mind that colonialism is a crime against humanity.

The Republic of Azerbaijan, an independent state, builds and furthers her relations with all the other states on the basic premise of equal rights and mutual respect. It is imperative to comprehend that the great Victory gained by our nation at the 44 days’ Patriotic War of 2020 was crowned with the restoration of the wholeness of the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan as much as of justice. Azerbaijan liberated her true, historical lands of Garabagh and East Zangazur from the occupiers and, in so doing, enforced single-handedly the aforementioned resolutions of the UN Security Council as well as decisions of other international organisations. That was the accomplishment of a historic mission consisting in stopping Armenia’s long-lasting policy of occupation and ethnic cleansing targeting the people and state of Azerbaijan and in eliminating its aftermath.

In connexion with the above, the members of the French parliament should discontinue their practice of distorting developments in the South Caucasus and refrain from such rhetoric and moves as could cost us the historic chance of building a civil inter-state relationship between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The National Assembly of France would be of more use and would prove more efficient if it focussed its attention on rethinking the French colonial history impartially and passing a correct political and legal verdict on it. It would be as pertinent of the National Assembly of France to honour its obligation to avert the manifestations of racism, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism that crop up one after another incessantly and, of course, the National Assembly of France really should lend a heeding ear to ordinary French citizens so it could learn about their problems.

The Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan

1 December 2022, Baku City