Azerbaijan has issued a strong diplomatic response to recent remarks made by the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, who on April 14 made anti-Azerbaijani statements during an EU Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Luxembourg. In a statement released by Aykhan Hajizada, spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Baku firmly rejected the allegations and condemned what it called France’s “hypocritical and destabilizing policies” in the South Caucasus.
The response follows Barrot’s comments on regional tensions, the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the legal proceedings concerning Armenian individuals currently on trial in Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani side noted with concern that the French Ambassador to Azerbaijan further endorsed these remarks by reposting them on her social media account.
“The duality in France’s policy—professing a desire for peace while pursuing actions that perpetuate conflict—exposes a troubling inconsistency,” said Hajizada. “Such a hypocritical policy hinders prospects for a durable peace in the region.”
The Azerbaijani MFA highlighted what it sees as France’s continuous interference in regional affairs, particularly through military support to Armenia and political pressure on Azerbaijan. “France’s provision of lethal weapons to Armenia, coupled with its persistent anti-Azerbaijan stance, not only undermines the peace process, but also stands in stark contrast to Foreign Minister Barrot’s public expressions of concern over regional tensions,” Hajizada noted.
Baku reiterated that the finalization of a draft peace treaty with Armenia is an important milestone, but emphasized that France is well aware of the deeper issues that must be addressed. These include the need for Armenia to renounce its territorial claims against Azerbaijan, enshrined in its constitution, and the official dissolution of the defunct OSCE Minsk Group, whose mandate Baku considers obsolete.
Further criticism was directed at French efforts to question Azerbaijan’s judicial processes. “Obstructing judicial processes for those accused of crimes against humanity not only meddles in a nation’s sovereignty but also erodes accountability for grave atrocities,” Hajizada said, accusing France of shielding perpetrators and fostering impunity.
In a broader critique of French foreign policy, the Azerbaijani official called on Paris to abandon its “neocolonial behavior,” citing France’s controversial policies in its overseas territories and across Africa. “French neocolonialism, while exploiting indigenous populations and resources, has always prioritised French interests over native welfare and fuelled long-term instability and ethnic tensions,” the statement read.
Concluding the statement, Hajizada emphasized that Azerbaijan demands France to cease actions that “do not serve peace and undermine stability in the region,” adding that continued interference could have damaging consequences for European credibility in the South Caucasus.
