Azerbaijani Ambassador to France Leyla Abdullayeva has provided an insight into the realities of Azerbaijan as she was a guest of the host – former Intelligence Director for the General Directorate for External Security of France, former Senior Official in charge of economic intelligence to the Prime Minister's office Alain Juillet on French “Obenboxtv” channel.
Ambassador Abdullayeva spoke about the history of the former Karabakh conflict, the Zangezur transport corridor, the United Nations resolutions, as well as Azerbaijan’s position on Ukraine and the country’s securing the hosting of COP29.
Noting that there is a lack of information about Azerbaijan in France, the diplomat stressed her regret that false information about Azerbaijan had been disseminated in the local media, describing this information as wide of the mark.
Highlighting the history of Azerbaijan, the diplomat said the country was the first democratic state in the East, and women were granted the right to vote and to run for election as early as 1919.
Ambassador Leyla Abdullayeva noted that despite the difficulties the country faced, it chose the path of democracy and became a member of many regional and international organizations. The diplomat also spoke about the country’s multicultural traditions.
“As a result of the occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory, more than one million Azerbaijanis became refugees and internally displaced persons. Despite the four resolutions of the United Nations Security Council demanding the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the territories of Azerbaijan and the desire of our country to resolve the conflict peacefully, Baku was eventually forced to liberate its lands by military means. Today, the two countries are continuing negotiations for the signing of the peace treaty proposed by Azerbaijan,” Abdullayeva said.
Touching upon the Zangezur corridor, which should connect Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, that has been under blockade for 33 years, the diplomat mentioned that this project would contribute to the development of the entire region, including Armenia.
Ambassador Leyla Abdullayeva emphasized that the peace agreement put forward by Azerbaijan in order to establish lasting peace in the region is in line with all the norms and principles of international law, and reflects the observance of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the two countries. “Currently, preparations are underway for the delimitation and demarcation process between the two countries,” she added.
Responding to the question about Azerbaijan’s position on Ukraine, the ambassador said that Azerbaijan was one of the first countries to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine, adding that Azerbaijan recognizes the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
The ambassador also talked about Azerbaijan’s rich hydrocarbon reserves, underlining that it plays a major role in ensuring Europe's energy security. She also highlighted the major regional projects implemented by Azerbaijan.
“Despite being rich in energy resources and being recognized as an exporter of these resources worldwide, Azerbaijan has opted for the green transition and renewable energy. Azerbaijan is a strategic partner of the European Union in the field of energy, and it has signed an agreement to export green energy to Hungary and Romania,” Abdullayeva mentioned.
Ambassador Leyla Abdullayeva also underscored that the guests visiting Azerbaijan to attend the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is set to be hosted by the country, will witness that ancient Baku is truly one of the world’s most beautiful cities.
It was noted that while France is taking the position of arming Armenia, with Germany acting as a mediator in the negotiation process, the situation between the two countries has reached the current level due to President Emmanuel Macron's position regarding Yerevan.
