France expresses concern, while Azerbaijan responds to statement on tension at Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Ahead of the EU foreign ministers’ council meeting in Luxembourg, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot expressed significant concern about the increasing tension at the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.

“I hope that the European mission deployed on the ground can be expanded to monitor and de-escalate this tension,” the French foreign minister stated.

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ayhan Hajizadeh responded to the French foreign minister’s statement. He stated that “France’s supply of lethal weapons to Armenia and its long-standing anti-Azerbaijani stance do not contribute to peace and are inconsistent with Minister Jean-Noël Barrot’s expressed concerns regarding the emergence of tension in the region.”

To remind, Aliyev himself declared days ago, “What we are doing to strengthen our military capabilities after the September 2023 anti-terrorist operation is entirely clear.”

Baku has been purchasing billions of dollars in offensive weapons from Israel, Turkey, Pakistan, and other countries. Additionally, Azerbaijan has illegally occupied 200 square kilometers of Armenian territory and is carrying out large-scale engineering works there. Baku also lays claims to other territories of Armenia, particularly the so-called “Zangezur corridor.”