Provocation from Quai d'Orsay: France’s Azerbaijan warning as cover for domestic failures Macron stages another diplomatic spectacle

It might seem that, at the end of his second presidential term, amid his significant defeat in recent parliamentary elections, sinking approval ratings, and multiple domestic and international failures, French President Emmanuel Macron would take the time to reflect and address these issues. Instead, he continues to engage in actions that damage both his own reputation and that of France, including provocative measures towards Azerbaijan that risk escalating tensions and creating new conflicts in the South Caucasus.

The information bulletin that appeared on September 4 on the website of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs should also be viewed through the prism of the biased attitude of official Paris towards Azerbaijan. According to the warning from the French Foreign Ministry, French citizens who intend to visit Azerbaijan face "risks of arrest, arbitrary detention, and unfair trial."

"Currently, French nationals, including those with dual nationality, are advised against travelling to Azerbaijan except in emergencies. Both permanent and temporary French residents face risks of arrest, arbitrary detention, and unfair trials in Azerbaijan. This risk is particularly pertinent to those on tourist or business trips. If arrested or detained, fundamental rights may not be upheld.

Any French national who is arrested may face:

- Pre-trial detention or restrictions on leaving the country for several months.
- Harsh prison sentences after trials that may not adhere to fair trial standards.

Furthermore, visiting areas near Armenia and the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region, along with adjacent former districts (marked in red on the travel advisory map), is strongly discouraged," according to the French Foreign Ministry bulletin.

There is no doubt that this represents another provocative action by the Macron administration and is part of France's ongoing discriminatory campaign against Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded sharply to the French office at 37 Quai d'Orsay, condemning the provocation through its spokesperson, Aykhan Hajizada.

Hajizada stated, "Such baseless and biased decisions and statements from France reveal the country’s intention to further strain relations with Azerbaijan. The claims made by France’s Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs about the unjustified detention and arrest of French citizens are unfounded. This is simply a distortion of reality."

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry confirmed that indeed two French citizens were detained: Martin Ryan, on December 4 of the previous year on suspicion of espionage, and Clerk Tego Hugo, detained for an offence committed in the Baku metro. However, this does not justify the claim that all French nationals visiting Azerbaijan are at risk of "arrest, arbitrary detention, and unfair trial."

If such risks were as widespread as suggested, we would see “arbitrary arrests” of employees from French companies in Azerbaijan, such as TotalEnergies, Alstom, Systra, SADE, and Paprec Group. Additionally, 6,133 French citizens visited Azerbaijan in 2023, but the French Foreign Ministry fails to address how many faced such risks. Instead, they choose to be hypocritical, distort reality, and provoke Azerbaijan, attempting to portray our country as having issues with its judiciary and human rights.

Thus, while Paris appears to be escalating tensions with Baku, it is also, through its arms supply to Armenia, laying the groundwork for potential conflict in the region. In this context, the recent advisory from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs could be interpreted as a cautionary measure for French citizens in Azerbaijan, who might hypothetically be at risk from French weapons potentially used from Armenian territory.

P.S. For perspective, the International SOS company's 2023 safety ratings for tourists highlight Switzerland, Slovenia, Finland, Norway, and Denmark as the safest countries. The list also includes European countries, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Qatar, UAE, USA, Oman, and Thailand. These nations are noted for their low levels of violent crime, lack of political pressure, civil unrest, and racial or religious aggression towards foreigners, as well as efficient security, emergency services, and transportation systems.