Azerbaijani parliament proposes imposing sanctions on France
- 20 January, 05:18
The parliament in Azerbaijan has urged the government to impose sanctions on France in response to a pro-Armenian resolution passed by the French Senate.
The statement issued by the Parliament on January 18, also urged the government to suspend all economic ties with France, to freeze assets of French officials discovered in Azerbaijan. The Parliament suggested removing all French companies, including Total oil company from the country and prohibiting the participation of French companies in projects commissioned by Azerbaijan. The legislative body also suggested that the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry be mandated to initiate steps toward recognizing the independence of France’s separatist regions of Kanaka, Maohi Nui, and Corsica.
The Parliament’s statement comes a day after the French Senate passed a resolution calling on the government to impose sanctions on Baku over an offensive in September 2023 that resulted in Azerbaijan regaining full control over Nagorno-Karabakh breakaway region. The proposed sanctions include freezing assets of Azerbaijani officials and an embargo on Azerbaijani gas and oil exports to France. The resolution reiterates support for Armenia’s territorial integrity and also condemns the “arbitrary” arrests of Nagorno-Karabakh’s separatist leaders. The resolution also condemned Azerbaijan’s attack on Armenian territory in September.
France has been a vocal critic of Azerbaijan during the war in 2022 that saw Baku regain control over most of its territories in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, a region within Azerbaijan that is overwhelmingly populated by Armenians. Azerbaijan has repeatedly accused France and President Emmanuel Macron of bias in favor of Armenia.
