BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 3. Ever since Azerbaijan restored its territorial integrity by putting an end to Armenian occupation of its internationally recognized territory, there have been numerous attempts by certain Western powers to stain the country’s image and reputation. Franco-Azerbaijani relations have never exactly been smooth, with France never hiding its support for the Armenian position. Moreover, high-profile French politicians have engaged in hostile rhetoric against Azerbaijani leadership but also, on a broader level, the country’s foreign policy apparatus. Azerbaijan’s foreign policy is witnessing an unprecedented surge of international attention, with the country consistently positioning itself at the very heart of international cooperation. COP29, arguably one of the most renowned global conferences, will take place in Azerbaijan. This is not only an evident demonstration of trust on behalf of the international community but also a reflection on the country’s desire to take on the significant responsibility that comes with hosting an international event that may prove decisive in the fight against climate change.
As hinted, anti-Azerbaijani rhetoric in certain Western nations like France now appears to be continuous and is deliberately designed to be as wide-reaching as possible. President Macron described Azerbaijan as a country that has ‘issues’ with international law following the events of September 2023 where, via a military operation, Azerbaijan ensured that no ‘external or ‘externally backed’ armed forces remained on its territory. The biased nature of this statement is self-explanatory, especially given the indisputable status of Karabakh as Azerbaijani territory. However, given the seniority of the individual in question, it demonstrates that there is a clear effort to jeopardize the country’s reputation as one that has historically obeyed international law and has worked tirelessly to integrate itself into an international community that has not always been explicit in its support for its sovereignty. More recently, Anne Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris, has been actively calling for France to boycott COP29 as a protest against Azerbaijan and its actions in Karabakh that are “undemocratic” and “violate international law”.
The basis of these allegations could not be further detached from reality. This is underlined by the fact that most of these politicians clearly refer to ‘Artsakh’ as an entity in the Azerbaijani-Armenian confrontation. Given that France (and, in fact, no other state), recognized the independence of ‘Artsakh’, one is forced to conclude that these allegations are motivated by political and potentially even various ethno-cultural factors that seek to damage Azerbaijani reputation in return for closer ties with Armenian communities both domestically and on an international stage. Recent developments in the region have confirmed that France has definitively decided to support the revitalisation of the Armenian military, supplying it with a range of its weapons. This is an act that is extremely destabilizing for the current peace process, which is already fragile given how difficult it has proven for Azerbaijan and Armenia to agree on any kind of common issue. It was Armenia’s withdrawal of its objection for Azerbaijan to be the host of COP29, an action recognized as one of good will by both sides, that enabled Azerbaijan to be designated as the host. Armenia’s political leadership appears to be, although gradually, reaching the conclusion that peace with Azerbaijan is likely to benefit the country’s long-term development and prevent even more dependency on Russia. This, however, appears to have been missed in France. By arming Armenia and essentially fuelling revanchists sentiments that undoubtedly still remain in the country, France is limiting options for genuine, long-term peace that could potentially transform a region traditionally marked by confrontation to one defined by cooperation.
The lack of a legal or moral basis for such accusations implies that they originate from a desire to vilify Azerbaijan for political purposes. Moreover, it is easy to come across an inherent contradiction to these accusations given France’s own reputational issues. This is a point emphasized by President Aliyev, referring to the widespread disapproval of French attitudes towards its colonial past and the inability of the government to address this highly uncomfortable reality. Only recently, the killing of a 17-year-old boy of Algerian descent by a police officer sparked nation-wide protests in the country. Hence, despite proudly championing for democracy and respect for human rights, the French government’s image among countries of the Global South suggests an alternative reality. Azerbaijan, on the other hand, through its chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement, has demonstrated a willingness to build bridges that would facilitate the integration of the ‘Global South’ into the international community. This same mindset will shape the country’s approach to COP29, with this edition of the conference expected to focus predominantly on climate ‘financing’ and securing as much investment as possible for countries in the Global South that have most intensely felt the consequences of climate change. Therefore, if France was to withdraw from the conference it would simply be confirming that making amends with its colonial past is not a priority. It would essentially be failing to use its influential position for the benefit of a Global South that is increasingly marginalized on the global stage. Annual COP meetings, despite facing criticism for failing to achieve substantial progress in the fight against climate change, are an indispensable occasion for bringing countries together and fostering cooperation on an issue that is unique given the universality of its impact. Institutionalizing, and even creating binding obligations that enable climate targets to be met, is an integral part of the international effort to combat climate change. Hence, the withdrawal of a permanent Security Council member would send a highly divisive message to an already fragmented global community.
It remains to be seen whether France’s apparent unwillingness to participate in the conference will materialise. So far, this has been expressed at a domestic regional level, with the Council of Paris endorsing the views of the mayor. However, one should expect the French government to pursue a similar communications strategy regarding Azerbaijan. A useful example is the most recent claim by French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin that Azerbaijan is behind recent pro-independence protests in New Caledonia, accusing the country of interfering in its domestic matters. This is a desperate attempt to turn the French population, which contains a significant Armenian diaspora, against Azerbaijan and frame the country as an external threat to French national security. It would be sensible to assume that as long as Azerbaijan continues it effective foreign policy approach whereby it deviates the solution of the most pressing issues from a Western-centric approach, France will continue to sabotage its reputation. After all, the on-going and highly paradoxical delivery of air defence systems and other arms to Armenia by France demonstrate that Western powers are increasingly clear in their one-sided and highly situational implementation of the respect for international law and territorial integrity.
Author: Huseyn Sultanli
Analyst - Political Risk, Application of International Law, Conflictology, European Cooperation and Azerbaijani foreign policy
London, United Kingdom
