Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb.7 / Trend E.Mehdiyev /
The law adopted by the French Senate and criminalizing the denial of the so-called "Armenian genocide" doesn't reflect views of the French people, chairman of the State Committee on the Refugees' and Internally Displaced Persons' Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Hasanov said at a meeting with the French Senate's delegation on Tuesday.
This is an opinion of the group of senators suborned by the Armenian diaspora, Mr Hasanov said. He noted visit to Azerbaijan of the delegation led by Deputy Chairman of the France-Caucasus friendship group of the French Senate, head of the France-Azerbaijan friendship group, member of the Centrist and Republican Union political group in the French Senate Nathalie Goulet, their meetings with internally displaced persons show that adopted law doesn't reflect the opinion of the French people.
"In due time Gorbachev took the same step. Then under the pressure of the Armenian diaspora the U.S. Congress did the same. Sarkozy also takes the same step under the pressure of the Armenian diaspora," Mr Hasanov said.
The Azerbaijani state and the Azerbaijani President are pursuing balanced policy, he said. Position of the Azerbaijani President is cooperation and friendly relations with all countries.
"Sarkozy's this step is directed against Turkey. And if it's made against Turkey, it means, it's made against Azerbaijan and the Turkic world and with the exception of a number of Muslim countries, against all the Muslim world. Sarkozy took this step also against view of the French people because France is cradle of European values," the Deputy Prime Minister noted.
Visit of the French senators to Azerbaijan was scheduled before the adoption by the Senate of this law, senator Nathalie Goulet said.
"France has always been supporter of return of internally displaced persons to their lands. It has been its permanent position in the co-chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group and the permanent position of France itself. Tragedy which happened to refugees and internally displaced persons gives Azerbaijan an opportunity to take such position. Out visit aims at familiarizing closer with your country and informing our country on local realities," the senator added.
Today the French senators met with internally displaced persons, temporarily living in Ramana settlement of the Sabunchi district of Baku and in Binagadi district.
The delegation of the French senators has been in Baku since Feb.6. It also includes senators Sylvia Goy-Chavent, Jean-Marie Bockel, Herve Maurey, Andre Reichardt and Jeanny Lorgeoux, who all voted against the adoption of the above mentioned law.
Previously on Jan 23, after an eight-hour debate, the French senate adopted the bill. Some 127 senators voted in favour, while 86 voted against.
The bill demands a year's imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euro for denying the so-called "genocide."
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.