BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11. Chair of the Milli Majlis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan, Sahiba Gafarova, met with the French Ambassador to the country, Anne Boillon on May 11, the Parliament told Trend.
Gafarova reminded that last year marked the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and France, and that a rich history of diplomatic ties has developed over the years.
She noted the ties between the parties in the fields of economy, trade, energy, transport, culture, education. At the same time, numerous high-level visits and meetings were highlighted.
Gafarova mentioned the visits of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to France and the visits of French presidents to Azerbaijan, as well as the activities of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in France.
Gafarova also said that despite the achievements in bilateral relations in the past, the statements of some French officials and politicians openly expressing support for Armenia during and after the 44-day war (second Karabakh war), and questioning the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, caused serious discontent of the Azerbaijani public, and added that such provocative statements negatively affect the our bilateral relations.
The speaker condemned the adoption of biased resolutions by the French Parliament, and noted that in November 2022, the Parliament adopted a statement condemning these resolutions. She also highlighted that Azerbaijani parliamentarians expressed their dissatisfaction with the provocative activities and statements of representatives of a number of regions and cities of France, as well as members of the Parliament.
In addition, Gafarova called unacceptable the statements made by French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna in Armenia in connection with the Lachin-Khankendi road during a recent visit to the region, as well as the statements voiced in an interview with Radio France. In her opinion, such biased opinions indicate that France continues to take a one-sided, biased position on this issue.
"It should be clear to everyone that the Karabakh region is an internationally recognized sovereign territory of Azerbaijan and an integral part of our country," Gafarova said.
The sides also exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest.