Monsieur Séjourné’s monkey business Another absurd move by the French Foreign Minister

The arrival of French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné in Armenia is a significant event for the country. Under President Emmanuel Macron, France has been actively trying to rebrand what was once referred to as "Russia's outpost in the Caucasus" to itself. France's political, financial, and military support for Armenia fuels revanchist fantasies not only among the official Yerevan but also among opponents of the Armenian government.

In this context, it’s somewhat surprising that the Foreign Ministers of the two countries, Ararat Mirzoyan and Stéphane Séjourné, did not wear socks with the Armenian flag to their joint press conference. After all, when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Yerevan, Nikol Pashinyan performed a similar stunt. Nevertheless, Monsieur Séjourné was so warmly received that he felt emboldened to make some audacious remarks. For example, he spoke about his visit to the "Armenian Genocide" memorial and claimed, "The Armenian Genocide has played a significant role in the history of our countries."

It’s worth reminding Monsieur Séjourné that the Franco-Ottoman Alliance, established in 1536 between King Francis I of France and Sultan Suleiman I of the Ottoman Empire, predates Armenia’s existence as a nation. However, Séjourné chose to ignore this historical fact, focusing instead on the myths propagated by global Armenianism. Additionally, it’s important to recall that France and the Ottoman Empire were adversaries during World War I and that France played a detrimental role in the Turkish War of Independence from 1919 to 1921. Paris has consistently opposed Türkiye's growing influence on the global stage.

Paris has long used the Armenians to serve its own interests, a strategy that dates back over a century and continues today. The issue of the so-called "Armenian genocide" is one of the tools France employs to block Türkiye's EU membership. This stance persists despite the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling on the case brought by Turkish lawyer and politician Doğu Perinçek against Switzerland. The Strasbourg court questioned whether a general consensus could ever be reached on the events of that period given the ongoing debates in the academic and historical fields. It noted that these studies might never lead to a single, definitive conclusion or absolute truth. Thus, the ECHR deliberately avoided making a legal judgment on the "Armenian genocide" myth. Nonetheless, the French Foreign Minister is indifferent to such details. He visited to assure Armenia that Paris will continue to support Yerevan in all its endeavors.

It is no coincidence that Séjourné highlighted Paris's readiness to continue deepening EU-Armenia relations. He reminded that dialogue on visa liberalization has already begun and a decision has been made to provide Yerevan with aid through the European Peace Facility. The French minister also mentioned humanitarian assistance and 29 million euros allocated for "refugees." But who does France classify as "refugees"? Armenians who have illegally resided on Azerbaijan's temporarily occupied territories for over a quarter-century. France has never provided aid to Azerbaijanis who became refugees from Armenia, nor does it intend to do so. This is a clear example of the hypocrisy of official Paris—neither the first nor the last instance.

"The South Caucasus should become a region of peace and cooperation, this will give an opportunity to expand trade and bring prosperity to Armenia. Armenia wants peace, France wants peace, the international community also wants peace. Azerbaijan will soon host the COP29 [UN Climate Change Conference], Baku must show before that that it also strives for peace," said Séjourné.

Why should Baku owe anything to France or Armenia? It sounds absurd and ridiculous. Azerbaijan is guided solely by its own national interests, which do not align with those of France and Armenia. This is because Yerevan and Paris have consistently worked together to perpetuate the occupation of 20 per cent of the country’s territory and then attempted to obstruct Azerbaijan’s restoration of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

We remember well: from Macron's false, anti-Azerbaijani statements to French politicians—including the new Prime Minister—visiting the Karabakh junta. We recall the French Senate's resolution recognizing the so-called "independence" of "Artsakh," and the attempts by Armenia and France to condemn Azerbaijan at the UN Security Council for restoring its territorial integrity.

France is currently financing and arming Armenia, while peace between Baku and Yerevan can only be achieved on terms that are just and acceptable to Azerbaijan. There is no room for negotiation on this matter. As for the COP29 conference, it will proceed successfully, and the absence of France and Armenia will go unnoticed.