French MP’s absurd accusations against Azerbaijan draw ironic laughter Hypocrisy and manipulation

Outstanding French playwright and publicist Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, had he lived in our days, would surely have pricked many modern politicians from his country with the sword of satire and irony. Because they ask to be immortalized in feuilletons, comedies, satirical stories with astonishing frequency. This time such a request was left by Anne-Laurence Petel, head of the France-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group.

This madame decided to write a letter to French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who, I will note at once, is her fellow party member. Yes, this madame and this monsieur are members of the Renaissance Party, whose founder is the current French President Emmanuel Macron. This letter is so ridiculous in content that it makes sense to familiarize the readers with some fragments of this sample of manipulations, lies and attempts to blame everything from a sick head to a healthy one.

But first of all, I should note that it would be more appropriate for Madame Petel, based on her position, to look at what is happening in Armenia today. After all, for almost a month now, French journalist of Armenian origin Leo Nikolyan has been on hunger strike in the neutral zone of the Zvartnots airport. But such a "trifle" does not bother the chairperson of the France-Armenia Friendship Group. She is busy searching for an "Azerbaijani trace" in the events in New Caledonia.

In the end, it has come to the point where Madame Petel, speaking of Azerbaijan, states, "is currently attempting to undermine the unity of the French Republic by supporting separatist aspirations in the metropolis and several overseas territories." In what way, I wonder? According to this lady's assertion, through the creation of the Baku Initiative Group against French colonialism. Madame Petel recalled that a round table was organized in the capital of Azerbaijan with the participation of supporters of the independence of Caledonia, Martinique and Polynesia.

Yes, it was all there. And it's all out in the open. And you know why? Because the fact that France has colonies in the 21st century contradicts the norms of international law. And Azerbaijan has always been in favour of observing the norms of international law. Accordingly, the Baku Initiative Group implements those norms and provisions, which are based on the UN Charter. It is strange that Madame Petel is not aware of the obvious.

Apparently, she is not aware of the famous saying of Beaumarchais: "Intrigue sooner or later ruins the one who started it". Yes, it was Macron's France, moving away from a policy of greater or lesser fairness in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, has openly taken Yerevan's side. It was French President Macron who tried to prevent the restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity during the 44-day war.

It was the French Senate that adopted a resolution recognizing the "independence" of the project of world Armenians called "Artsakh". It was a number of French cities that signed twinning agreements with the then-occupied territories of Azerbaijan. It was the French presidential candidates who sneaked in to visit the leaders of the Karabakh junta. All this is the support of separatism. And it was France, not Azerbaijan, that was engaged in this.

And Madame Petel herself proves it! In a letter addressed to the French Prime Minister, she is outraged by the fact that "on April 24 last year Azerbaijan demanded from the mayor's office of the city of Bourg-Les-Valence to remove the flag of Karabakh from the facade of the building of the office - we are talking about the territory, the population of which was expelled in September 2023 as a result of an attack by the armed forces of Azerbaijan". It is hard to imagine a more open session of self-disclosure! After all, the French politician openly admits that he supports Armenian separatism.

Probably no one from the France-Armenia Friendship Group informed her that there is no "flag of Nagorno-Karabakh" and there cannot be. There is no "Nagorno-Karabakh" itself. There is the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. And Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has repeatedly stated that he recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, including Karabakh and the enclaves. Moreover, the process of delimitation and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is already well underway. Baku and Yerevan claim that there is a high probability of signing a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia by November this year.

Against this background, Madame Petel's speeches sound particularly amusing. In fact, we have before us an example of the lady's terrible incompetence even in an issue that she herself is trying to saddle. However, we see incompetence or cynical lies in her performance in another way. She omits the fact that the real reason for the unrest in New Caledonia is the amendment of the legislation that gives French citizens who have lived in New Caledonia for the past 10 years the right to vote in elections to the local legislature.

As a result, the share of French voters employed, for example, in the development of rare-earth metals, which New Caledonia is rich in (up to a quarter of the world's nickel reserves, cobalt, chromium, iron, manganese, gold, lead, etc.) will increase significantly. Paris is thus reducing the political influence of the indigenous Kanak people, who are already just under half of the total population. This is a violation of indigenous rights!

It is quite obvious that this is about protecting the interests of large French companies, transnational structures that are engaged in the extraction of natural resources, continue their expansion and try to keep control of territories with resource bases. These are the interests for which French President Macron and his fellow party members, including Prime Minister Attal and Madame Petel, are fighting. And France has already sent troops to New Caledonia, which is more than 16,000 kilometres away from Paris.

And this lady and monsieurs had the nerve to accuse Azerbaijan of restoring its territorial integrity within the framework of the UN Charter! Agree that all this was not only ridiculous, cynical, false, but also hilarious. Nothing but ironic ridicule is worthy of Madame Petel's hysterics, expressed in the form of a letter to the Prime Minister of her country. And Beaumarchais, I am sure, immortalized all the characters in this shameful French political comedy. Because he urged to laugh at these kinds of situations in order not to cry.

Akbar Hasanov

The views and opinions expressed by guest columnists in their op-eds may differ from and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff.