Infamously, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France Jean-Yves Le Drian let slip an utterance at the French National Assembly on 18 January this year which misbecomes a diplomat completely and contradicts the international law at the one and the same time. Not only is that utterance by Mr Le Drian at absolute discrepancy with the traditions of diplomacy but it had also been designed to cover up the acts of criminal nature taken by certain state officials and representatives of the parliament of France. If anything, this is evident from the mere fact that the member of the National Assembly for the Republicans Éric Ciotti has met with no rejoinder over his provocative attempt at insulting the President of the Azerbaijan Republic.

It is our knowledge that the President of the Azerbaijan Republic Mr Ilham Aliyev had expressed his finely-founded and rightful attitude to the illegal visit to the Garabagh Region of our country by Valérie Pécresse. Such disdain for the staple principles of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is inadmissible and so, it was quite natural, logical and correct to have reacted sternly to that attitude.

Such travail by the candidate president of France Mrs Pécresse to win over electors harm the relationship with Azerbaijan, a state that invariably attaches immense significance to the principles of international law. That is also a provocative encroachment intended to undermine stability and progress in the Caucasian Region.

The aforementioned utterance which the French minister Le Drian elected to make after the meeting of the President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev with the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron at the initiative of the latter in Brussels on 15 December 2021 doubtless contradicts the political course pursued by the Head of the French State. It was entirely inappropriate of Minister Le Drian to give way to this baseless and rude response to the statement made by the head of another state.

It is nobody’s secret that France supported Armenia, an occupier, during the 44 days’ War and after it. Both chambers of the French parliament have passed documents calling for the recognition of the fictitious ‘Nagorno Karabakh Republic’ that not even Armenia will recognise. Rather than meet with reproof and be controlled by the Government of France, the lamentable occurrences of this nature are, on the contrary, enjoying its support. Moreover, it is also making attempts to blot out such provocative follies.

As ever before, the Government of Azerbaijan will protect the territorial integrity and sovereign rights of the State. The defence of the security and inviolability of the national borders remains to be our utmost mission.

The Parliament of Azerbaijan, meanwhile, will continue its unfailing support for the efforts that our President is making in this context. The Parliament of Azerbaijan is also calling on the members of the Parliament of France to discontinue such invectives – the invectives that are criminal by nature and infringe upon the international laws brazenly.

At the same time, we are appealing to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Azerbaijan Republic that it would address a message to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France Jean-Yves Le Drian to urge him to disavow his improper statement and offer the President of the Azerbaijan Republic an apology.

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis