France accused of sending nuclear waste to areas near Azerbaijan border – statement

The Environmental Protection First (EPF) Coalition has accused France of transporting uranium-based radioactive waste to areas near Armenia’s de facto border with Azerbaijan, calling it an act of "environmental warfare" against Azerbaijan.

Citing an investigation by French media outlet Courrier France 24, EPF said that shipments began in June 2025 and that some of the waste has already been deposited in the Dilijan National Park, located near Lake Sevan and within the Aghstafa River basin that flows into Azerbaijan’s Kura River.

The coalition claims the site is in close proximity to Azerbaijan’s Gadabay, Tovuz, Aghstafa and Gazakh regions, potentially threatening biodiversity in the area.

According to the statement, the waste transfers were allegedly agreed during a February 2025 meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Paris. EPF further alleges that suspicious donations were made by French nuclear company Orano to the “My Step” Foundation, affiliated with Pashinyan’s wife.

The group also expressed concern about the waste being placed in a seismically active region and called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and global environmental bodies to intervene.

EPF urged Armenian environmental groups to oppose what it called “eco-terrorism” and demanded that Armenia allow international monitors, including Azerbaijani NGOs, to inspect the sites.