The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry responded to the "baseless and unacceptable" statements of the French Foreign Minister

Baku/28.04.23/Turan: On April 28, 2023, at a joint press conference of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and France in Yerevan, Catherine Colonna made "groundless and unacceptable statements" about Azerbaijan's aggression against Armenia, the statement of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry on Friday.

Armenia has pursued a policy of occupation and ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijan for 30 years. However, the French side acting as a mediator has never condemned Armenia for the occupation of the territory of Azerbaijan during this time.

The Armenian side has not withdrawn all its armed forces from the territory of Azerbaijan, has not liberated 8 Azerbaijani villages from occupation and continues military and political provocations.

The establishment of a border checkpoint on the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan is an internal matter of Azerbaijan, and attempts to prevent this are contrary to the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. It is unacceptable to call the border checkpoint regulating entry and exit from the country as a road closure.

"Instead of demonstrating a biased approach, it would be more useful for the French side to encourage Armenia to fulfill its obligations arising from the agreements and refrain from provocations against Azerbaijan," the statement said.

At a press conference in Yerevan, the Colonna stated that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces violated the territorial integrity of Armenia by going deep into its territory, which is unacceptable. "We cannot accept the unilateral steps that are being taken by Baku," she said. ---02D---