Azerbaijan Urges Armenia to Choose Between Peace and Confrontation After Francophonie Summit

 Azerbaijan called on Armenia to abandon provocative actions and choose between completing the normalization process or continuing a path of confrontation, after a diplomatic clash at the Francophonie Summit in France earlier this week.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry accused Armenia of pushing "false narratives" and attempting to undermine the peace process by including provisions targeting Azerbaijan’s sovereignty in the summit's final declaration. The ministry alleged that France, which chaired the summit, supported Armenia’s efforts to insert these points.

"The Armenian side must make a choice: whether to follow the path of completing the normalization process or continue confrontation in all directions," the ministry said in a statement. "Azerbaijan is committed to the process of normalization of relations initiated by it."

The 19th Francophonie Summit, held on October 4-5, brought together 54 member states of the Francophonie, including Armenia. The final resolution supported the ongoing peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan and emphasized the need for respecting the territorial integrity of both nations based on the Alma Ata Declaration of 1991. The declaration also highlighted the importance of regional communications and providing assistance to refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azerbaijan, which is not a member of the Francophonie, expressed strong objections to the outcome of the summit, arguing that the provisions pushed by Armenia violated the rules of multilateral negotiations. According to Azerbaijan, these provisions lacked consensus and held no political or legal value.

Baku accused Yerevan of exploiting the Francophonie Summit to undermine Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and accused France of bias.

“The exploitation of the Francophonie platform by Armenia with the open instigation and support of France is utterly regrettable,” the ministry’s statement said, adding that the summit's decisions were a manifestation of Armenia’s intentions to target Azerbaijan at every opportunity.

French President Emmanuel Macron, a vocal supporter of Armenia, said at the summit that the Francophonie was a space for dialogue and mediation to resolve political conflicts affecting member countries. The Armenian delegation used this platform to make statements about its dispute with Azerbaijan, stressing the importance of international support.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan told the summit that backing from the Francophonie would give a "positive impetus" to the peace process and facilitate an agreement with Azerbaijan "without undue delay." Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also discussed the matter with Macron and newly appointed French Prime Minister Michel Barnier, expressing Armenia’s readiness to sign a peace treaty based on 13 of 16 agreed points in the latest draft.

Azerbaijan rejected Armenia’s proposal to sign a version of the agreement with the already agreed points, arguing that the remaining issues—such as the status of Nagorno-Karabakh and the unblocking of transport routes—must be fully resolved for a sustainable peace.

“Any final treaty must resolve all remaining differences,” the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said.

In talks with Macron, Pashinyan insisted that Armenia is prepared to unblock communications in the South Caucasus based on the principles of sovereignty, jurisdiction, and reciprocity. This stance contrasts with Azerbaijan and Russia’s insistence on implementing a November 2020 ceasefire statement that calls for the unblocking of all regional transport links and guarantees the movement of citizens and goods between Azerbaijan and its exclave Nakhichevan.

The diplomatic row comes as tensions continue to simmer between the two countries after the 2020 war, which ended in a ceasefire agreement mediated by Russia. While Armenia seeks to strengthen its ties with Western allies like France, Azerbaijan has looked to bolster its position regionally, maintaining close ties with Turkey and holding Moscow as a key partner in the South Caucasus.

In his remarks at a meeting in the Jabrayil district on Friday, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev warned Armenia against engaging in “dangerous games,” recalling the outcome of the 2020 war.

“Let them not forget the history of the war in 2020,” Aliyev said. “We eradicated separatism in just a few hours, without looking back at anyone.”

Aliyev accused France and other “anti-Azerbaijani countries” of supplying Armenia with weapons, which he said undermined Yerevan’s declarations of a commitment to peace.

The growing involvement of Western powers in the South Caucasus has also raised concerns in Moscow. Russian FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov said on Friday that Western countries were pushing Armenia to delay negotiations with Baku in a bid to take over the settlement process and deploy their own peacekeeping contingent in the region under the NATO umbrella. The EU has dismissed these claims as “complete nonsense, lies and manipulation.”

As both sides trade accusations, Azerbaijan remains steadfast in its call for Armenia to amend constitutional provisions that it sees as territorial claims against Baku. Armenia, in turn, seeks stronger international backing as it navigates the contentious post-war settlement process.

The diplomatic impasse leaves the two nations at a crossroads, with Azerbaijan urging Armenia to make a decisive choice between peace and prolonged confrontation.