Azerbaijan's president criticized the European Union and expressed concerns over France's decision to supply military aid to Armenia, warning that it could potentially ignite a fresh conflict in the South Caucasus. This warning came in the aftermath of a swift Azerbaijani military operation the previous month, Reuters reports.
President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan withdrew from an EU-mediated meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, a meeting in which the EU affirmed its support for Armenia. Aliyev voiced his criticism of the EU's approach, particularly singling out France's stance during a phone call with European Council President Charles Michel.
During the call, President Aliyev conveyed that Azerbaijan did not participate in the Granada meeting due to France's "well-known position".
"The head of state emphasized that the provision of weapons by France to Armenia was an approach that was not serving peace, but one intended to inflate a new conflict, and if any new conflict occurs in the region, France would be responsible for causing it," the Azerbaijani presidential office said.
France had announced plans to enter into future contracts with Armenia to provide military equipment to bolster its defense capabilities. French President Emmanuel Macron chastised Azerbaijan, suggesting that Baku may have issues with international law. Aliyev had recently regained control over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh through a 24-hour military operation, resulting in the mass relocation of most of the region's 120,000 ethnic Armenians to Armenia.
Aliyev maintained that his actions were in accordance with international law and stressed the importance of liberating eight villages in Azerbaijan that were still under Armenian occupation.
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