"Macron is tool in hands of Armenian lobby" - Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry

Baku/30.06.23/Turan: The anti-Azerbaijani statements made by French President Emmanuel Macron at a meeting with the Armenian community in Marseille are unacceptable. The commentary of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reads.

At a meeting with the Armenian community in Marseille, Macron expressed France's determination on the Artsakh issue, the ARF Dashnaktsutyun office said.

"I have put and will continue to put more pressures on [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev than [Armenian Prime Minister Nikol] Pashinyan himself. The question is for Pashinyan. I am the only one who has a clear position and message on the Artsakh issue. Don't doubt my determination regarding Artsakh and Armenia in general. I will continue my efforts even if I am practically the only one in the international family with this agenda", the French President remarked.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry recalled that Macron had already made anti-Azerbaijani statements during the 44-day Karabakh war in 2020, and later in the post-conflict period, thus demonstrating a biased attitude towards Azerbaijan.

"Against the background of Armenia's support for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and the recognition of the Karabakh region as an integral part of Azerbaijan, Macron's biased statements not only prevent the establishment of peace and tranquility in the region, but also contribute to the further expansion of destructive activities of those who encourage and support separatism and terrorism," the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry comment further stated.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the French leader's words that he would try to exert pressure on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev "a figment of his imagination".

"Attempts to exert pressure on the President of Azerbaijan have never yielded results... This once again shows that Macron is a tool in the hands of the Armenian lobby in France. Worthy of note is that the representative of the Armenian community he addressed is one of those radicals, against whom Armenia has imposed an entry ban into the country (member of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun Bureau, co-chair of the Council of Armenian Organisations of France Frank (Murad) Papazyan, Ed. note)", - says the comment of the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan. -06В-