France Accuses Azerbaijan of Threatening Armenia’s Territorial Integrity

France’s foreign minister, Stéphane Séjourné, accused Azerbaijan of threatening Armenia’s territorial integrity and voiced concern over the “extreme rhetoric” emanating from Baku.

Séjourné met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who traveled to Paris ahead of his trip to Brussels, where he and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Friday.

“We talked about Armenia’s territorial integrity, which is being challenged by Azerbaijan today. And let me tell you how worried we are given the fact that the rhetoric of Azerbaijan is getting out of hand,” Séjourné said during a joint press conference with Blinken, according to a State Department readout.

Séjourné ‘s comments came mere hours after Armenia’s defense ministry reported that Azerbaijani forces targeted Armenian military positions in the Gegharkunik and Syunik provinces later Monday and early Tuesday morning.

“We see an increasing number of fake news as well coming from Baku, and they tend to blame Armenia for the responsibility of an escalation, even though Armenia is probably the only one willing and trying to avoid it in this part of the world.,” said Séjourné.

In an unprecedented comment from a Western diplomat, Séjourné compared Azerbaijan’s treatment of Armenia to Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine, saying that this behavior warrants closer scrutiny.

“And I can see in all of this propaganda many common elements if you look at what say Russia is imposing on Ukraine… I think we shall pay extreme attention to that six months ahead of COP29 in Baku.,” Séjourné stressed, referring to the UN climate summit, which will take place in Baku later this year.

Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry was quick to accuse France of escalating tensions in the region.

Aykhan Hajizadeh, the spokesperson for Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry said that Séjourné’s statements were “another vivid example of France’s efforts to create tension in the region and obstruct the peace process.”

“France presenting Armenia — which for 30 years occupied Azerbaijan’s territories, caused the displacement of almost one million Azerbaijanis from their native land and committed massacres and crimes against humanity — as a peaceful country demonstrates how fake that country’s policies have been both during the mediation period and following the the 44-day patriotic war,” Hajizadeh was quoted by the Turan news agency as saying.