BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 24. Azerbaijan strongly condemns responses published by France's Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs on the website of the French National Assembly, calling them "unfounded" and reflective of Paris's persistent bias against Baku.
This was stated by Aykhan Hajizadeh, the press secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in his comment on the issue.
The responses, published on June 23, addressed questions raised by members of the French National Assembly on a range of issues, including support for Armenians "displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh," the "fate and release of Armenian prisoners," "Armenian religious and cultural heritage," "human rights in the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process," and "human rights in Azerbaijan."
"We strongly condemn and reject these unfounded responses," said Aykhan Hajizada, Spokesperson for Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "They represent yet another example of France's long-standing biased approach toward the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization process."
Hajizada pointed to what he described as a glaring imbalance in the French document. While extensive attention was devoted to Armenia's security and the situation of Armenian detainees in Azerbaijan, the responses made no mention of Armenia's nearly 30-year occupation of Azerbaijani territories, the destruction wrought during that period, the forced displacement of more than one million Azerbaijanis, the fate of missing persons, or the ongoing mine threat posed by Armenia.
The spokesperson also challenged France's credentials as a neutral party in the South Caucasus. Despite presenting itself as a supporter of the peace process, Paris has simultaneously deepened defense cooperation with Yerevan and actively promoted the activities of the EU Mission in Armenia (EUMA).
"France's expanding military cooperation with Armenia, its provision of arms, and its overtly one-sided political stance do not contribute to peace," Hajizada said. "On the contrary, such actions encourage revanchist tendencies and undermine the normalization process."
On the issue of Armenian detainees, Hajizada was unequivocal, describing French allegations as "entirely detached from reality" and dismissing attempts to question Azerbaijani court rulings as "unacceptable."
"The Armenian-origin individuals currently detained in Azerbaijan have been held accountable in accordance with national legislation and international law for specific criminal offenses," he said. "The separatist leaders and other Armenian-origin individuals whom Armenia, along with France, supported and patronized for nearly three decades have been convicted and are serving sentences for war crimes, ethnic cleansing, military aggression, torture, and other grave offenses."
Hajizada also took aim at France's commentary on Armenian cultural and religious heritage, calling it "particularly ironic" given Paris's silence on the destruction of Azerbaijani mosques and cultural monuments in Armenia and the formerly occupied territories.
The spokesperson further questioned France's standing to raise human rights concerns, citing what he described as Paris's own troubled record — including corruption scandals involving politicians, police brutality, violent crackdowns on protesters, pressure on journalists, violations of migrants' rights, religious discrimination, and violence in overseas territories, notably New Caledonia.
"It is surprising that France attempts to lecture Azerbaijan on human rights," Hajizada said.
Baku concluded with a broader rebuke of French policy in the region, warning that Paris's approach was eroding its own influence and credibility.
"Official Paris continues to struggle to accept the realities of the region and, instead of contributing to lasting peace and stability in the South Caucasus, persists in pursuing outdated and one-sided political approaches," Hajizada said. "Such a policy causes serious damage to France's credibility and standing both in the region and as a reliable international partner."
