The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan has responded to what it described as unfounded claims by France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada said Baku strongly condemned Barrot’s latest accusations against Azerbaijan, made on October 13 during the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Global Forum on Building Trust and Reinforcing Democracy.
“The French minister’s accusations against Azerbaijan show that France has yet to abandon its confrontational rhetoric in relations with Azerbaijan.
“The accusation that Azerbaijan is interfering in the struggle of the peoples living in New Caledonia and France’s other overseas territories for their rights is entirely unfounded. Linking parties with differing views on developments in France’s overseas territories to alleged foreign interference is an attempt to overshadow the will and concerns of the populations of those territories.”
The statement also said that French officials who speak about democracy, human rights and the rule of law would be better served by ensuring that these principles are applied consistently in France’s own policies.
“We call on the French side to stop making unfounded claims about Azerbaijan and to respect the principles of mutual respect, sovereign equality and non-interference in internal affairs in international relations.”
