Western Azerbaijan Community denounces French ambassador’s "xenophobic" anti-Azerbaijani rhetoric

The Western Azerbaijan Community has strongly criticized the recent anti-Azerbaijani remarks made by French Ambassador Anne Boillon, shared on X.

In a statement, the community expressed disappointment over the ambassador’s post, pointing out the hypocrisy of Western countries that advocate for free speech yet demonstrate intolerance toward differing opinions, Caliber.Az reports.

“In recent days, we have once again witnessed the intolerance of some Western countries towards the freedom of speech and opinion they themselves often preach,” the statement read. “The French Ambassador to Azerbaijan, in an attempt to align with her Armenian counterpart, published an anti-Azerbaijani post, but it ended in failure.”

The community further accused Ambassador Boillon’s remarks of exhibiting xenophobic undertones, comparing her comments to the racist statements made by Josep Borrell, the European Union's foreign affairs chief, who once referred to Europe as a “garden” and the rest of the world as a “jungle.” “This is another example of the collapse of French diplomacy,” they concluded.

Earlier, Aykhan Hajizada, head of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs press service, also commented on the ambassador’s post, suggesting that France’s foreign policy was now being judged by the number of visa applications. “If this strategy is not based on real facts, it reflects flawed analysis and misguided foreign policy,” Hajizada said. He further pointed out that the French embassy in Baku issues visas for multiple destinations, not just France.

Hajizada also provided actual data to counter the ambassador's claims. “Despite France’s biased stance towards Azerbaijan, the number of French citizens applying to visit Azerbaijan has steadily increased: 536 in September 2023, 467 in October, 562 in September 2024, and 605 in October 2024.”

For context, Boillon had previously highlighted on X the increase in visa applications from Azerbaijani citizens to the French embassy, writing, “Visa applications submitted to the French embassy have once again increased this year. Where does the mysterious allure of failed states stem from?”

By Tamilla Hasanova