Eurasianet
Eurasianet is an independent wire service that covers news from and about the South Caucasus and Central Asia, offering on-the-ground reporting and vital viewpoints on …
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By Eurasianet – Mar 08, 2024, 4:00 PM CST
- France, traditionally Armenia's strong ally in the EU, is offering Armenia with military support, consisting of armored automobiles and munitions, to boost its defense abilities in the middle of increasing local stress.
- Azerbaijani authorities and media have actually implicated France of predisposition, challenging its function in the peace procedure and recommending Germany as a neutral alternative conciliator.
- Macron's criticism of Azerbaijan's military actions and assistance for Armenia's territorial stability and democratic procedures have actually caused diplomatic stress, with Azerbaijan identifying Macron's remarks as “undesirable” and a sign of a double requirement.
French President Emmanuel Macron just recently triggered a kerfuffle over Ukraine, dropping a bombshell recommendation that NATO soldiers might be released in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Over in the South Caucasus, gathering far less attention in the West, French actions are likewise stirring stress.
While Atlantic Alliance allies rapidly shot down Macron's troop release trial balloon, French diplomacy in the Caucasus, particularly in current months transfers to boost military cooperation with Armenia, is flying under the West's radar. It is not getting away the notification of Azerbaijan, which is making every effort to freeze Paris out of the continuous Armenian-Azerbaijani peace procedure.
France has actually generally been Armenia's greatest advocate within the European Union, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met Macron in France in late February to declare the close, bilateral relationship.
Talking with press reporters after the conference, Macron repeated his nation's assistance “for Armenia, its self-reliance, territorial stability, democratic procedure and tranquil goals.” He later on explained Azerbaijan's usage of force in a February 13 exchange of shooting along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border as “out of proportion.” 4 Armenian soldiers passed away in the firefight.
Macron likewise got in touch with Azerbaijan to honor a World Court ruling to guarantee the safe go back to Nagorno-Karabakh of any Armenian refugee who wished to do so. He furthermore put the onus on Azerbaijan for decreasing remaining military stress following Azerbaijan's reconquest of Karabakh in 2023. Baku has actually been pushing Armenia to allow a land passage to link Azerbaijan appropriate to its Nakhchivan exclave, a relocation that in result would offer Azerbaijan extraterritorial rights on Armenian area.
“I believe it is more than needed for Azerbaijan to eliminate any obscurity relating to the territorial stability of Armenia, as far as maps are worried, then diligent work must be provided for border delimitation and separation, which will function as a basis for the withdrawal of forces from both sides of the border,” Macron stated.
Armenia's defeat in the Karabakh dispute stimulated a souring of Yerevan's relations with Russia, which had actually long been seen by Armenians as their main protector. The falling out with Russia,
