Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry denounces French FM's baseless accusations

Aykhan Hajizada, head of the press service at Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has addressed the unfounded claims made by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot against Azerbaijan.

"Mr. Minister, we must respect international law and justice. To declare our commitment to international law and justice, we must act accordingly,"  Hajizada emphasized in a post on his X social media account, per Caliber.Az.

Notably, Barrot has claimed that France stands for international law and justice, pledging ongoing support for these principles.

Earlier, on October 18, Hajizada had also commented on Barrot's anti-Azerbaijani remarks made during an interview with France Inter. He stated, “The allegations by Jean-Noël Barrot, asserting that ‘Azerbaijan violates international law in relation to Armenia,’ reflect a baseless and biased stance towards Azerbaijan, revealing a shallow understanding of international law.”

He continued, "All actions taken by Azerbaijan are grounded in international law and justice. It is absurd to assert that our country is acting contrary to international law, and France has not provided any evidence to substantiate its claims."

Hajizada further pointed out the contradiction in France's position as a self-proclaimed advocate for international law, noting that it has never condemned the significant violations of international norms against Azerbaijan. He criticized the portrayal of Armenia as a victim, highlighting that nearly a million Azerbaijanis were displaced from their homeland due to Armenia’s actions, which included massacres and crimes against humanity, while also neglecting the right of return for the hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis forcibly deported from Armenia.

"We once again call for an end to France's destructive activities in our region, as its foreign policy has proven ineffective in many parts of the world,” the Foreign Ministry spokesperson concluded.

By Tamilla Hasanova