Azerbaijan rejects French foreign minister’s statements

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry has strongly rejected statements made by French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot in the French Senate on May 6.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Aykhan Hajizada said the French minister’s use of the term “Nagorno-Karabakh” in reference to Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region was unacceptable.

Hajizada said such statements question Azerbaijan’s sovereignty over its territories and do not contribute to lasting peace in the region.

He also described France’s comments on some buildings remaining from the occupation period as an example of double standards, citing the destruction of hundreds of mosques and cultural heritage sites on Azerbaijani territories during Armenia’s occupation.