Azernews.Az

Ulviyya Poladova

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France has once again begun speaking about the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh," as if nothing has changed over the past several years. Paris continues to act as though there were no international legal decisions recognizing Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, no restoration of Azerbaijani sovereignty, and no end to nearly three decades of Armenian occupation.

Recent remarks by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot only reinforced the perception in Baku that France has completely abandoned even the appearance of neutrality in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.

What makes the situation particularly contradictory is that only recently, Barrot, during talks with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, expressed gratitude for Azerbaijan’s assistance in evacuating French citizens from Iran amid heightened regional tensions.

For many years, Azerbaijan sought to cultivate a pragmatic relationship with France. Paris was viewed not only as a leading European power but also as a potential cultural and economic bridge. Azerbaijani investments in French art and architecture, cooperation with energy companies, and regular diplomatic dialogue all underscored this desire for balance. Yet, from Baku’s perspective, every step toward friendship was met with French retreat - particularly after the Second Karabakh War in 2020, when Azerbaijan regained control over long-occupied territories.

The repeated expressions of concern for Armenia by French political figures have eroded the notion of neutrality once associated with Paris’s role in the OSCE Minsk Group. French statements often emphasize Armenian grievances while ignoring the destruction of Azerbaijani cities and heritage sites during the three decades of occupation - a silence Baku interprets as a case of double standards.

France’s persistent framing of Armenia as a "victim" contrasts with Azerbaijan’s growing international legitimacy. Over the past three years, Baku has engaged in border delimitation talks and promoted a peace agenda, including through European intermediaries. Even French President Emmanuel Macron, during his brief meeting with President Ilham Aliyev in Copenhagen last year, acknowledged progress in the normalization process - suggesting that Paris understands, at least implicitly, the futility of resisting geopolitical reality.

Earlier this year, President Ilham Aliyev signaled Baku’s readiness to reset relations with France following years of growing political tensions between the two countries.

Speaking in an interview with France 24 on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Aliyev described his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the end of last year as "very positive" and revealed that both sides had agreed to "press the reset button" in bilateral relations.

"We are ready for this," Aliyev stated, emphasizing that Azerbaijan has no interest in tensions with any country, including France. The Azerbaijani president also stressed that Baku was not the source of the deterioration in relations between the two states.

During the decades of occupation, France largely remained silent while Azerbaijani cities were destroyed, mosques desecrated, cemeteries vandalized, and cultural heritage systematically erased in the occupied territories.

Paris rarely spoke about the humanitarian consequences faced by hundreds of thousands of displaced Azerbaijanis. Yet once Azerbaijan restored control over its internationally recognized territories, French rhetoric became increasingly critical and confrontational.

Ironically, while political tensions have intensified, Azerbaijan’s importance for Europe has simultaneously increased. Following the war between Russia and Ukraine, Europe accelerated efforts to diversify away from Russian energy supplies. Within this new energy architecture, Azerbaijan emerged as one of Europe’s key partners. Through the Southern Gas Corridor, Azerbaijani gas now reaches European markets including Italy, Greece, and the Balkans. For France, this issue also carries strategic significance. Although Paris heavily relies on nuclear energy, France remains interested in the stability of Europe’s broader energy market and the diversification of supply routes.

Moreover, Azerbaijan’s geopolitical importance continues to grow. Its alliance with Türkiye, victory in the Karabakh war, and its emergence as a major Eurasian logistics hub have transformed Baku into one of the region’s most influential players.

The development of the Middle Corridor has further strengthened Azerbaijan’s strategic role, especially amid instability in the Middle East and sanctions affecting Russian transit routes.

The story of Karabakh, as Baku insists, is no longer about conflict but reconstruction, integration, and sovereignty. France can continue to invoke outdated resolutions or issue diplomatic communiqués, but the question of territorial integrity has already been resolved on the ground. The challenge ahead is whether Paris will reconcile with this new reality or remain captive to the illusions of a past that no longer exists.