French leader enviously watching Azerbaijan's success Paris should focus on improving relations with Baku

A few days ago, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs issued an advisory stating that French citizens intending to visit Azerbaijan may face "risks of arrest, arbitrary detention, and unfair judicial proceedings." Baku responded to France's move with puzzlement.

"The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs' claims about unjustified detention and arrest of French citizens are completely unfounded. This is nothing more than a distortion of reality," Spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Aykhan Hajizada said.

What do foreign experts think about this? What is their view on France's motives behind this new provocation against Baku?

Belarusian political analyst and French studies expert Borislav Osinchuk, who is the chief research fellow at the Centre for Political Research, has said that France aims to undermine Azerbaijan's credibility ahead of the COP29 summit.

"Paris is well aware that Azerbaijan is thoroughly preparing for this event, and several French ministries, including the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, are actively working to disrupt Baku's plans through various provocations," he said.

"It is laughable. We can see Macron's sneaky diplomacy. Instead of pursuing a balanced policy in Europe, the South Caucasus, and the Middle East, Paris has resorted to provocations and score-settling with countries that pursue independent policy. Moreover, we see that along with Azerbaijan, many former French colonies and other countries have joined the fight against aggressive Paris. This is a clear failure of French foreign policy—France has shifted from being a political leader in Europe to becoming a provocateur and instigator of new conflicts," he said. 

"Macron is essentially watching Baku with envy, noticing how Azerbaijan is succeeding in expanding its ties and influence, and clearly experiencing a sense of inadequacy. The French politics has never been so destructive and, I would even say, disgraceful," Osinchuk added. 

Kyrgyz political analyst Mederbek Korganbaev said that France faces two issues: incompetence within the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and excessive Armenian lobbying.

"Paris is frightening its citizens with the possibility of imprisonment they might face during the visit to Azerbaijan. Such statements from France raise only one question: where is the reason and logic? For decades, Baku has pursued a multi-vector foreign policy, creating optimal conditions for tourism development and a favourable investment climate," he said. 

“French authorities, in their attempt to restrict their citizens' travel to Azerbaijan, are violating the principles of Western democracy by manipulating French public opinion with false or distorted information. As an expert from Kyrgyzstan, I have observed an interesting trend in the Azerbaijan-France relations. After Baku's victory in the 44-day second Karabakh war, Paris has increased its support for Armenia. France has either supplied weapons to the Armenian military or promised political support to Yerevan. It seems that the Armenian lobby in France is exerting pressure on French President Emmanuel Macron,” Korganbaev noted. 

“It would be a good idea for the French leader to restore order in his country. Otherwise, France is turning into the garbage dump of Europe due to its unclear foreign policy and excessive interference of Armenian lobbyists. After all, France is not Armenia and cannot spoil relations with Azerbaijan, which, by the way, is one of the flagships of the Turkic world and a major exporter of oil and gas, to please some political groups,” he said. 

“France needs Azerbaijan because by improving relations with Baku, Paris could establish strong ties with the Turkic world. Baku is becoming a decision-making centre within the Turkic world, with other Turkic-speaking countries adopting Azerbaijan's governance methods and reforms. Therefore, rather than worsening its relationship with Azerbaijan, France should focus on improving and strengthening it," he added.