Azerbaijan: France recalled its ambassador for “consultations”.

“Due to unilateral actions by Azerbaijan in recent months that harm relations” Between Paris and Baku, France recalls “for consultation” This was announced by the French Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, April 16, by its ambassador Leila Abdulaeva.

Head of State Emmanuel Macron “Today we received our ambassador on this topic. He regretted the actions of Azerbaijan and expressed his desire to clarify his intentions by the Azerbaijani side.This is stated in the evening press release of the Ministry.

“France reaffirms its support for the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, respecting international law and the territorial integrity of the two countries. This standardization will benefit both countries and the entire region.Continues to Quai d’Orsay.

The deterioration of relations is related to the tension in Nagorno-Karabakh

Relations between France and Azerbaijan have deteriorated in recent months, with Azerbaijani head of state Ilham Aliyev accusing Paris of supporting Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh territorial conflict between Yerevan and Baku, which has escalated in recent years.

In September, Baku in particular launched a lightning offensive that led to the capitulation of Armenian separatists. Almost the entire Armenian population of the region—between 120,000 and more than 100,000 people—has since fled to Armenia. The two neighboring countries and the former Soviet republic have already fought two wars over control of the area: the first, from 1988 to 1994, which ended with Armenia’s victory; The second, which lasted 44 days in 2020, and which changed the balance of power with an absolute victory for Azerbaijan.

Baku and Yerevan recently announced their desire to normalize relations. On this issue, France, which hosts a large Armenian diaspora, said it was ready to participate in the mediation, while expressing its unwavering support for Armenia.

In early April, Paris expressed concern over the extension of the pretrial detention of a Frenchman accused of espionage in Azerbaijan, allegations that French authorities have made public. “categorically” He denied it several times. Three weeks after his arrest, Baku announced the expulsion of two French diplomats, before France announced an identical retaliatory measure the next day, culminating in heightened tensions between the two countries.