No:355/19, Information of the Press Service Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan
On October 28, 2019, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to the Republic of Azerbaijan Zacharie Gross was invited to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and received by Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov.
At the meeting, the note of protest regarding last week visit of the President of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regional Council of the French Republic Laurent Wauquiez to Yerevan where he has signed so-called “joint declaration” with Masis Mayilian, the “minister of foreign affairs” of the puppet-entity created in the territories of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia was presented to the French Ambassador.
As it is pointed out in the note, the calls reflected in the “declaration” undermine the negotiation process for the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and express support for the invading Armenia's approach on changing its format.
Signing of such a "joint declaration" against the background of termination by the administrative courts of the French Republic a number of similar illegal "agreements" between municipal and regional authorities of France and the "authorities" in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan takes place, in particular, as a result of provocative efforts by the Armenian lobby in France.
We remind that such illegal "documents" signed by the French local authorities with the so-called regime contradict the national legislation of Azerbaijan and France, especially the Article 73 of the Constitution of France, the provisions of the “General Code of Territorial Unites” and circular letter signed by the Ministers of Internal Affairs, and Europe and Foreign Affairs of France of 24 May 2018.
The firm stance of the Azerbaijani side that the continuation of signing such illegal "documents" by the local and regional authorities in France, which is one of the leading EU members and Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, would overshadow the impartial meditative role of this country and be a negative example for other EU member states was strongly brought to the attention of the French diplomat.
The attention of the French Ambassador was brought to these undesirable tendencies and he was demanded to raise this issue in front of the MFA of his country and provide Azerbaijan with proper explanation.
The French Ambassador Z.Gross, in his turn, said that such statements by local and municipal authorities do not have any legal force and do not reflect the position of the French Government. He stressed that France's position on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is principled and unchanged. The French Ambassador informed that the program of L.Wauquiez’s visit to Yerevan was not supported by the French Government, and his meeting with a representative of the so-called entity took place after the official part of the visit was completed as well as the French Ambassador to Yerevan didn’t attend this meeting.