Macron's "humanitarian" games
Paris attempts to push its political agenda under the guise of peacemaking efforts

ANALYTICS  26 December 2022 - 18:02

France's insistent attempts to play its own game in the South Caucasus, to get involved in the region as an independent actor is doomed to failure. However, despite Baku's rebuff, Paris nevertheless does not abandon these attempts. Presidents Aliyev and Macron's recent conversation proves this once again. Under the guise of peacemaking efforts and calls for peace, Paris is trying to push its political agenda, which threatens to upset the balance in the region - and that is the main danger of the French initiatives. But Baku has made it clear that the region does not need such dubious help.

Judging by Macron's statements during his conversation with the Azerbaijani President, Paris's tactics have changed somewhat - since the previous French initiative to send a mission to Azerbaijan and Armenia failed (Baku, as we remember, refused such a mission on its territory, saying that it will solve the issues of cooperation with the mission as a working procedure, insofar as it concerns us), now Macron is active in pushing the idea to send intergovernmental organizations to the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. While voicing feigned concern over the situation on the Lachin road, Paris is using it as an excuse to promote its idea of a "humanitarian mission". However, during his conversation with Macron, the President of Azerbaijan clearly outlined the essence of Armenian fakes - Ilham Aliyev stressed that there are in fact no obstacles for citizens living in our territories to use the Lachin road for civil and humanitarian purposes, and the passage of medical vehicles by the local office of the International Committee of the Red Cross is also ensured. Why create the appearance of a problem out of the blue?

It is clear that another "peacekeeping" venture by Paris is plain to see - under the guise of new initiatives, France is trying to force its way into the South Caucasus, in particular by infiltrating Azerbaijan's Karabakh. This French plan to exert its influence in our country is as tactless and unceremonious as possible. In particular, Paris is abusing the provisions of the UN Charter on Humanitarian Affairs, which states that such a mission may be sent to the territory of any country only with the consent of the authorities of that state. And our country is totally against the presence of any mission on its territory. Here we should also consistently expose the chain of fakes of Armenian-French propaganda, which now serve as a basis for inflating ideas about sending humanitarian missions.

So, the statement of the Armenian side that "about 120 thousand people suffer from the humanitarian crisis" in the Karabakh region is a myth - according to the calculations, the number of Armenians in Karabakh is many times less: not more than 25-30 thousand. If the Azerbaijani citizens of Armenian descent living in the territories of temporary responsibility of the RPC face any humanitarian difficulties, Azerbaijan is able to solve the problems of its citizens and has repeatedly stated so. Our country has all the resources and capabilities to do so. We will manage to do it without the French.

As for the work of humanitarian organizations in the region - there is no problem with this either, the International Committee of the Red Cross has its representation in Khankendi, Baku is in constant contact with this organization, and the ICRC and ambulance cars freely move along the Lachin-Khankendi road, where the civil action is currently taking place, and they resolve all urgent issues with medical support for the population. There is no need for the help of any other organisations or humanitarian missions here - everything is under control and there is no need to make a fuss.

Another attempt by Paris to infiltrate the South Caucasus under the guise of mediation and peacekeeping activities is visible to the naked eye. However, Baku categorically rejects all the initiatives of Paris under such "French sauce": here it has already been shown the door due to its one-sided position, and clear lobbying of Armenian interests. Paris naively believes that Baku has forgotten how France, as co-chair of the "deceased" OSCE Minsk Group, has been promoting Armenian interests for decades, while ignoring international law and the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. However, despite all of France's bias, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev did give Macron a chance for "correction" by agreeing to a meeting in Prague. And what happened? Less than a week after the Prague meeting French President Macron criticized Azerbaijan in an interview and accused our country of something we did not do. And then came the anti-Azerbaijani resolutions of the French Senate and National Assembly, attacks through the Francophone summit.

The Azerbaijani President once again clearly expressed his vision of the issue of French "peacemaking" at the end of November.

"France cannot take part in the peace process. It's their fault, not ours, as neither the US nor Russia has ever officially taken sides," President Aliyev said.

Paris should have no illusions on this point - both doors and windows are closed for it in our region.

Caliber.Az