Emmanuel Macron is known for his pro-Armenian stance and anti-Azerbaijani remarks he made during last year’s war.
French President Emmanuel Macron has sent a letter to Iham Aliyev expressing his country’s readiness to be involved in the dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
In a letter sent on June 3, Macron said that France “as a co-chair of the [OSCE] Minsk Group, will continue fulfilling all of its commitments to build a high-level dialogue” between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The French leader expressed his confidence that a durable and fair peace bill be achieved between Azerbaijan and Armenia, adding that extensive work must be done to achieve conditions for peace. Commenting on France’s diplomatic ties with Azerbaijan, Macron said that the bilateral ties have “considerably strengthened” since their establishment 30 years ago.
Macron’s letter seems to be an attempt to appease Baku after series of pro-Armenian remarks he made since last year’s war that saw Azerbaijan liberate its territories occupied by Armenia in the war in the early 1990s. Macron stepped up his anti-Azerbaijani rhetoric since the escalation of tension on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border in May amid demarcation and delimitation process. He even expressed his willingness to render Armenia military support if needed. Meeting Armenian acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Paris on June 1, Macron also called on Azerbaijan “to withdraw its troops from the Armenian territories and bring the troops to the positions they held prior to May 11.” He stressed that the delimitation process must be solved only through the negotiations without the use of force.
Baku was quick to respond to Macron’s statement. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Leyla Abdullayeva in a statement issued on June 2, ruled out France’s role in ensuring a ceasefire regime between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Abdullayeva said that the ceasefire in the region is being ensured in line with the Russian-brokered November 10 trilateral statement. She stressed that Russian peacekeeping forces are carrying out a peacekeeping mission in the conflict zone to ensure a ceasefire and “we do not see any role of France in this matter.”
The senior official reminded that meetings are being held at the level of Azerbaijani, Armenian, and Russian deputy prime ministers in line with the January 11 statement and that dialogue between Baku and Yerevan is underway.
