Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17

By Matanat Nasibova – Trend:

Azerbaijan’s Embassy in France has sent a note of protest to the country’s Foreign Ministry, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s acting spokeswoman Leyla Abdullayeva told reporters in Baku Nov. 17.

She was commenting on the visit to France by the “head” of the separatist entity created in the occupied Azerbaijani territories.

“In this regard, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry made a specific and categorical statement,” she said.

Abdullayeva noted that Azerbaijan assesses such a step by France, a country that is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, which created conditions for the visit of the “representative” of the illegal regime and for holding certain meetings there, as encouragement of the occupation regime.

“We believe that this step by France casts doubt on its objectivity and impartiality,” she added. “In this regard, the Azerbaijani Embassy in Paris handed over a note of protest to the French Foreign Ministry.”

On Nov. 15, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said that France’s constant double standards approach makes Azerbaijan reconsider its ties with that country.

"Bako Sahakyan’s visit to France, presenting himself as the “head” of the separatist regime established in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, is another unsuccessful attempt to encourage that puppet entity at the international level," the Foreign Ministry said.

“France, which created conditions for that visit and accepted "representatives" of the illegal regime, by this step not only violates the spirit of bilateral relations and the signed agreements, but also demonstrates disregard for supremacy of norms and principles of international law and the undertaken obligations,” reads the statement.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.