Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan.19 / Trend S.Agayeva /
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry called in French Ambassador Gabriel Keller who met with Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov, the Ministry said on Thursday.
The ambassador was informed that French Senate's consideration of the bill criminalizing the denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide" scheduled for Jan.23 raises Azerbaijan's serious concern and adoption of this bill may negatively affect regional processes.
The ambassador noted he supports the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. The ambassador also said he will inform the French government on Azerbaijan's position in this issue.
Lower Chamber of the French Parliament adopted a bill criminalizing the denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide".
Some 45 out of 577 French MPs participated in the voting, while 38 voted for and seven voted against the adoption of the bill.
The bill demands about a year's imprisonment and a fine worth 45,000 euros for denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide".
In response to this decision Turkey announced that it freezes all diplomatic relations with France.
MPs from the French President's "Union for Popular Movement" (UMP) party which has the parliamentary majority, proposed the bill which aims at criminalising denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide" to the legislative committee of the National Assembly in early December.
Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that the predecessor of the Turkey - Ottoman Empire had committed the 1915 genocide against the Armenians living in Anadolu, and achieved recognition of the "Armenian Genocide" by the parliaments of several countries.