The Council of France's Val-de-Seine Department Adopts Declaration Supporting Artsakh

The Council of France's Val-de-Seine Department adopted a declaration yesterday, October 16, calling on the French president and government to reconsider their diplomatic strategy and provide diplomatic support to the Republic of Artsakh in light of ongoing aggression from Azerbaijan. This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh.

The declaration was adopted unanimously during a council meeting, based on a proposal from council member Josiane Fischer. Below is the translation of the declaration into Armenian.

“On July 12 of this year, the Azerbaijani army launched a powerful attack on the Republic of Armenia using heavy weaponry. These military operations, which took place in the Tavush region, were aimed against the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia with internationally recognized borders.

On July 16, the spokesman of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, Vagif Dargyakhlin, threatened with the possibility of striking the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant, aiming to cause disaster to Armenia.

On September 27 of this year, Azerbaijan started a war against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, during which cities, including the capital Stepanakert, and the civilian population were targeted.

This war erupted with the support of Turkey, which has so far refused to acknowledge the responsibility of the Ottoman Turks for the genocide carried out in 1915 and 1916. According to the Syrian Human Rights Monitor, mercenaries from Syria have been transported by Turkey to Azerbaijan to participate in the battles and sow death in Nagorno-Karabakh.

For several decades, France has tried to find a peaceful solution to this conflict opposing Nagorno-Karabakh and the Republic of Armenia to Azerbaijan under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), of which it is a co-chair alongside the United States and the Russian Federation.

To date, France has sought peaceful solutions based on the principle of neutrality. Given that neutrality cannot be maintained towards Azerbaijan, which initiated the war targeting the Armenian civilian population living in Nagorno-Karabakh,

Considering that Turkey's militant stance supporting Azerbaijan and the transfer of Syrian mercenaries are unacceptable and pose a greater risk of regional destabilization,

Considering that many residents, particularly in Stepanakert, have been forced to flee their homes due to hostilities, and there is an urgent humanitarian need to cease hostilities,

Considering that the truce established by Russian diplomacy, signed on October 10 by the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, has not been respected,

Members of the Val-de-Seine Department Council address their call to the President and the government of the French Republic, urging French diplomacy to reconsider its strategy and express the following position:

France demands an immediate cessation of hostilities and respect for the ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh. Any further aggression from Azerbaijan may prompt France, after examining the circumstances, to extend diplomatic support to the authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh.”