Azerbaijani envoy to France leaves tribute in de Gaulle’s voting room PHOTO

A delegation from the Azerbaijani Embassy in France has visited the town of Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, where Ambassador Leyla Abdullayeva met with Mayor Pascal Babouot.

During the meeting, Ambassador Abdullayeva highlighted General Charles de Gaulle’s historic visit to Baku on November 27, 1944, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

She spoke about Azerbaijan’s national leader Heydar Aliyev, noting that his role in shaping modern Azerbaijan is often compared to de Gaulle’s legacy in France. Both leaders, she emphasized, fundamentally transformed their nations by strengthening independence, security, and statehood.

Abdullayeva underscored that Azerbaijan, steadily advancing along a democratic path, remains committed to achieving peace with its neighbors.

Mayor Babouot then invited the ambassador to the room where Charles de Gaulle once cast his vote. There, Abdullayeva left a commemorative entry in the memorial book. To honor de Gaulle’s visit to Baku, she also presented the mayor with a gift featuring Azerbaijan’s national emblem and a photograph of the French statesman.  

The Azerbaijani delegation later visited de Gaulle’s gravesite, where Ambassador Abdullayeva and Military Attaché Colonel Javid Abdullayev laid a wreath in tribute.

Additionally, the ambassador met with representatives of Le Souvenir Français. The sides noted that Azerbaijani soldiers fought alongside French forces in the Resistance movement during World War II — a contribution recognized as part of the nation’s struggle for today’s freedoms in France.

By Vafa Guliyeva