Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

French Ambassador to Azerbaijan Pascal Monnier has commented on the inclusion of French citizens into the 'black list' released by Baku over illegal visits to the Armenian-occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

According to Monnier, it would be better if people who are on the 'black list' of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry came to Azerbaijan, saw the people, realized the realities of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and understood that this is a very significant and sensitive issue for the country's population. In that case, those persons would have not a one-sided, but a balanced opinion, the ambassador said.

"I know that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a very sensitive issue for Azerbaijan," Monnier said.

He said France recognizes Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"Some politicians are invited to Armenia from where they are taken to Nagorno-Karabakh," Monnier said, noting that those actions were taken unintentionally.

Unauthorized visits to Nagorno-Karabakh and other regions of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia are deemed illegal and individuals paying such visits are "blacklisted" by the Foreign Ministry. Earlier, the ministry released a list of 331 people declared persona non grata over illegal visits to the Armenian-occupied territories.

Azerbaijan has repeatedly warned foreign officials and diplomats over visits to its territories occupied by Armenia, saying this contradicts international law. The Foreign Ministry has stated that such visits, paid without prior notification of the relevant authorities of Azerbaijan, are illegal and damaging to the settlement process on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

A precarious cease-fire has been in place between Azerbaijan and Armenia since a lengthy war in the early 1990s that displaced over a million Azerbaijanis. Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but they have not been enforced to this day.