Baku — Paris: What Macron should take note of? Experts comment on Aliyev’s interview with France 24

President Ilham Aliyev’s participation in the Munich Security Conference traditionally attracts the attention of both domestic and international media. A clear example of this is his interview with the France 24 channel, in which he shared his perspective on current foreign policy issues as well as events unfolding in the South Caucasus region.

One of the key aspects of the Azerbaijani leader’s interview was his analysis of the current relations with France. Aliyev stressed that the deterioration in Baku–Paris relations in recent years resulted from the policies pursued by the French authorities, emphasising that Azerbaijan was not “the source of this tension.”

In this context, the President of Azerbaijan pointed out that France itself chose this path by supporting the separatist regime in Karabakh and adopting a number of resolutions backing the separatists. At the same time, Aliyev noted that his meeting with Macron at the end of last year was conducted on a positive note, and an agreement was reached to begin a reset of relations between the two countries.

How was the Azerbaijani leader’s interview with France 24 received abroad? To share their views on this, Caliber.Az turned to an Israeli journalist and a Belarusian political scientist specialising in French studies.

Israeli journalist and publicist, head of the International Relations Commission of the Union of Journalists of Israel, Rostislav Goltsman, described the President of France as a “remarkable man” who tries to teach democracy to anyone, while placing particular emphasis on territorial integrity—despite the fact that the French are arguably the least qualified to be teachers on this matter.

“In the 21st century, France remains a world leader in the number of colonies. You can, of course, call them by different names—overseas territories, for example—but that doesn’t change the reality. The French Republic still has colonies, and on multiple continents. Take French Guiana, for example, or, if we recall 2024, New Caledonia. The situation there is quite telling—just look at a map to see where New Caledonia is in relation to France. There is no real autonomy; all that is left for the local inhabitants—the Kanaks—is the right to elect their own parliament. But the National Assembly of the Fifth Republic changes the law, granting French citizens who have simply moved there the right to vote in the local parliament. This is classic colonial policy: stripping the indigenous people of even the smallest signs of autonomy,” he said.

Touching on Azerbaijani–French relations, the expert recalled that at the start of the Second Karabakh War, the President of France allowed himself sharp remarks directed at Azerbaijan, in particular deliberately using the term “Nagorno-Karabakh.”

“Macron should have understood the consequences of his words and refrained from using such harsh formulations. President Aliyev responded to this honestly and directly. No one is going to remain silent or tolerate great-power arrogance,” he said.

Meanwhile, Belarusian political scientist and French studies expert, Candidate of Political Sciences Borislav Osinchuk, believes that Ilham Aliyev’s interview with the French channel should be seen as a masterclass by a professional diplomat and world-class politician, clearly highlighting the failures of the French President’s policies toward a number of countries.

“In the interview, the President of Azerbaijan calmly and in detail explains where Paris’ policy crossed a ‘red line’ and triggered a response from Baku. From the words of the Azerbaijani leader, it becomes clear that Macron’s policy was completely illogical and entirely unjustified. Moreover, when the French authorities attempted to legitimize the actions of an unrecognized separatist entity by adopting resolutions, they cast their own country in an extremely negative light. Azerbaijan’s response to such actions was therefore entirely justified,” he said.

According to the political scientist, in the interview, the President of Azerbaijan clearly signalled his desire to restore constructive relations with France, reminding that ties between the two countries had previously been “friendly.”

“Ilham Aliyev dotted all the ‘i’s, explaining in detail what needs to be done for relations between the states to develop rather than descend into a chasm. This is precisely the point that President Macron consistently overlooks when he tries to judge others, pick sides, and intrusively interfere in the politics of independent countries. The Azerbaijani president’s words—that two sovereign states must respect each other’s legal systems and refrain from meddling in each other’s affairs—read literally as a guide for establishing not toxic, but positive relations,” Osinchuk concluded.