France's Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna meets with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan on Apr. 27
During an interview with France’s public radio, that country’s foreign minister, Catherine Colonna, referred to Karabakh as an Armenian-populated “enclave inside Azerbaijan.” This statement is sure to anger Baku, which claims Artsakh as being part of Azerbaijan.
”We must distinguish the situation between Armenia and Azerbaijan from the situation of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is an enclave inside Azerbaijan inhabited by Armenians,” Colonna said during the interview.
Colonna traveled to Armenia and Azerbaijan last week to meet with the leaders of the two countries and advance prospects of a peace treaty.
Colonna told the French public radio that France is committed to contributing to a peace agreement between the two countries, and noted that the position of France, the EU, and the International Court of Justice is that the blockade of Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan should be lifted without any conditions, crossroads reported.
She also announced that a possible meeting between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev could take place on June 1, on the margins of the second summit of the European Political Community, in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova.
Meanwhile, with the support of the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy, 32 Belgian and French politicians and public figures have adopted a statement condemning the installation of an illegal checkpoint by Azerbaijan and the double blockade of the people of Artsakh
“We condemn Azerbaijan’s installation of a checkpoint in the Lachin Corridor, which deepens the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh and worsens the fragile security of the region. We hereby call on the government of Azerbaijan to fulfill its obligations, immediately open the Lachin Corridor, remove the checkpoint, stop the hostile policy against the native Armenian population of Artsakh and act as a responsible member of the international community,” the signatories say.
“I highly appreciate similar initiatives by political and public figures who enjoy respect in political and public circles in Belgium and France. This is a civil tool that forces European countries and the EU executive to keep this issue on the agenda and take concrete steps in this direction,” said EAFJD President Kaspar Karampetyan.
