BAKU, September 9
Azerbaijan expects relations with France to normalize in the near future, the country’s ambassador in Paris, Leyla Abdullayeva, said in an interview with French media.
She noted that the political crisis unfolding in France may influence different aspects of Paris’s policy, and Baku is closely watching developments.
“Clearly, the internal crisis [in France] may have an impact on other sectors. While we do not see a direct effect on our bilateral relations, we hope they will normalize soon,” Abdullayeva said.
Ties between Baku and Paris have deteriorated, she added, because of France’s perceived bias over the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia — a conflict which has now ended.
Addressing the current situation in the South Caucasus, Abdullayeva stressed that Azerbaijan has created conditions for normalization with Armenia, with only a few issues remaining before the final peace treaty can be signed.
“We have truly closed the chapter of hostility. The only obstacle before signing peace is Armenia’s constitution. All we want is the removal of territorial claims against Azerbaijan. After that, we can confidently speak about lasting peace,” the ambassador said.
She underlined that both countries reaffirmed their commitment during the initialing of a peace treaty in Washington, in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump.
“That was essentially a pledge by both sides to establish good-neighborly relations on the principles of sovereignty, respect for international borders, and the inadmissibility of the use of force,” Abdullayeva explained.
According to her, such progress is rare in the South Caucasus, a region long marred by instability.
“Today, the South Caucasus is one of the few regions where we see positive dynamics and tangible results of two countries taking the path toward peace and cooperation. This is exactly the case of Azerbaijan and Armenia — two nations that were once in conflict,” she concluded.
