Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry condemns Jean-Noël Barrot for targeting Azerbaijan with groundless claims

"We strongly condemn French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot for once again targeting Azerbaijan with unfounded claims during his speech at the OECD Global Forum on Building Trust and Reinforcing Democracy on October 13."

Operativ Media reports that this was stated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.

The ministry noted that the French minister's allegations demonstrate that France has still been unable to abandon its confrontational rhetoric in relations with Azerbaijan.

"Accusing Azerbaijan of interfering in the struggle of the peoples living in New Caledonia and other French overseas territories for their rights is completely baseless. Unfoundedly linking parties with differing views on processes in French overseas territories to foreign interference is an attempt to overshadow the will and concerns of the population of those territories.

French officials who speak of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law would do better to focus first and foremost on the consistent application of these principles in France's own policies.

We call on the French side to end its unfounded claims against Azerbaijan and to abide by the principles of mutual respect, sovereign equality, and non-interference in internal affairs in international relations," the statement said.