BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 29. Milli Majlis (Parliament) Speaker Sahiba Gafarova has met with President of the National Assembly of France Yaël Braun-Pivet in the capital of Ireland (Dublin), the Azerbaijani parliament told Trend.
At the meeting, Speaker Sahiba Gafarova criticized France's biased stance on Azerbaijan.
"She said that the unilateral, biased approach to the situation in the South Caucasus does not benefit efforts to establish long-term peace in the region," Parliament said.
Speaker Sahiba Ghafarova recalled that both chambers of the French parliament have adopted many statements and resolutions that have negatively affected the normalization and peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and stated that these documents contradict the norms and principles of international law as well as question the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. All these steps supported separatism in Azerbaijani territories and encouraged revanchist forces in Armenia.
She also mentioned that Yaël Braun-Pivet visited Armenia in 2023 and noted that if the French speaker visited Azerbaijan after Armenia, it would be a good opportunity to familiarize herself with Azerbaijan's position as well.
Sahiba Gafarova noted that for 30 years there has never been such a case when France condemned Armenia's occupation of Azerbaijani territories and the destruction of towns, villages, and historical and cultural monuments. France has never spoken about the rights of 1 million Azerbaijanis facing Armenia's policy of ethnic cleansing, refugees from Armenia, and IDPs from Karabakh.
The Speaker of Milli Majlis provided detailed information to the Speaker of the National Assembly of France about the anti-terrorist activities carried out by Azerbaijan in the Karabakh region. He informed that after liberating its territories from occupation, Azerbaijan offered Armenia to normalize relations and sign a peace treaty based on respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries.
Sahiba Gafarova, emphasizing that Armenia has been spreading many lies about the so-called "blockade" and "humanitarian crisis" in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region for several months, reminded that Armenia's refusal of Azerbaijan's proposal to use both the Aghdam and Lachin roads was a political provocation directed against the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
She mentioned that Azerbaijan has repeatedly urged the international community that the presence of 10,000 formations of the Armenian Armed Forces and the illegal separatist regime in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region are the main obstacles to achieving peace and stability in the region. These forces have been committing military provocations on the territories of Azerbaijan. As a result of the explosion of mines planted by Armenian reconnaissance and sabotage groups for terrorist purposes on September 19, civilians and servicemen were killed and wounded.