France must stop unfounded accusations against Azerbaijan – Foreign Ministry

Baku/13.09.23/Turan: The statements of Armenian officials that Azerbaijan has not given an answer to Yerevan's new proposals on the draft peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia do not correspond to reality, the head of the press service of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Ayhan Hajizade.

"The Azerbaijani side submitted its comments to the Armenian side as soon as possible. The information disseminated by the Armenian media does not correspond to reality and is another manipulation of the Armenian side," Hajizade said.

Today the chairman of the Foreign Relations Commission of the Armenian Parliament, Sarkis Khandanyan, told reporters that "Azerbaijan has not yet responded to Armenia's new proposals on a peace treaty between the two countries.

The representative of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hajizade also commented on the statements of the press secretary of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, Anne-Claire Legend, regarding the "blockade" of Karabakh and the concentration of troops by Azerbaijan near the borders with Armenia.

"Azerbaijan has the right to send its forces to any point on its territory for exercises and to ensure the security of its own borders, and interference in this issue is unacceptable. These steps in no way call into question our country's commitment to the peace agenda. Azerbaijan remains firmly committed to the peace process, which is confirmed by successive steps since November 2020. We are also determined to defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity," he stressed.

Hajizade recalled that in fact, the main source of threat in the region is the presence of the Armenian armed forces on Azerbaijani territory. As for the unfounded statements of the French side about the "blockade" and "humanitarian crisis", this is a consequence of the slanderous campaign carried out by Armenia against Azerbaijan using individual states and international organizations.

The French side is well aware that it is possible to deliver goods to the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan via the Aghdam-Khankyandi and Lachin-Khankyandi roads in compliance with the requirements of Azerbaijani legislation, which the Armenian side refuses. "We demand from France to put an end to unfounded statements against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan," Hajizade stressed. ---06B---