We Should Not Leave Azerbaijan with 10 Million Population and Turkey with 80 Million Alone Against Armenia with 3 Million Inhabitants: Statement from France

Bruno Retailleau, the President of the "Republicans" group in the French Senate, and Valérie Boyer, Vice President of the France-Armenia Friendship Group in the Senate, discussed with the Armenian National Assembly's press office the steps following the almost unanimous resolution by the Senate a year ago regarding the necessity to recognize the Republic of Artsakh.

Before the conversation started, Senator Bruno Retailleau seemed to anticipate that the first question would be about the significance and importance of the resolution. He simply requested any questions and, without waiting for a response, began speaking. "The French Senate was the first in Europe to adopt a resolution regarding the recognition of Artsakh, because the struggle of Artsakh also concerns us. We share the same civilization and values, and only recognizing the independence of Artsakh can guarantee the future of its people," he stated.

He spoke about the war that took place a year ago, the post-war situation, considering the Armenian tragedy to be a universal one. We were listening to the heartfelt words of Armenia's good friend. "Aliyev continues to be on a war footing, and it is unknown where he will stop. It is necessary for France and Europe to stop him within the framework of the Minsk Group, as he has attacked not only Artsakh but also Armenia. The international community must do everything to stop Aliyev and his ally Erdogan. I hope France will play an important role," he noted.

He paused for a moment and returned to the Resolution: "With this Resolution, we are telling Armenia and the Armenian people that you are not alone, we are with you, and we will defend your interests." It seemed we would be talking for a long time, but the senator made it clear that everything has been said, and there is no need to repeat or explain.

Valérie Boyer, a concerned friend of Armenia regarding the issues of Artsakh and Armenia, joined in and can be said to continue what has been said: "Today, Turkey is not only Azerbaijan's partner, but one of the instigators of war. The current situation in Armenia is unacceptable for the international community. The conflict is frozen, but not resolved. Now, it is unacceptable for Azerbaijan to ignore the Minsk group. Today they are trying to make the Minsk group a platform for clarifying relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The aim is to strangle Armenia by cutting it off from its only border with Iran." Of course, she is confident that those who oppose her viewpoint are not few, and that many will try to bring seemingly serious counterarguments at first glance, but she notes that she does not care at all. "This is a continuation of genocide in impunity. We have various tools at our disposal to influence this situation. The first is diplomatic means. The resolutions regarding the recognition of Artsakh were adopted by the Senate on November 25 of last year and by the National Assembly on December 3. The second is the creation of a friendship group with Artsakh, which will allow us to speak about Artsakh and its legal status. We also have other tools that are within the framework of the EU," Boyer stated.

Boyer does not accept when the direct address of the call for peace in the face of Azerbaijan's aggressive attacks is diverted, and the word "parties" is used. "France, which is a member of the Minsk group, must come out of neutrality and look at the situation objectively. Otherwise, it creates an equal sign between the aggressor and the victim, the genocider and the genocide victim. We must not leave Armenia, with its 3 million inhabitants, alone against Azerbaijan, with its 10 million population, and Turkey, with 80 million," she emphasized.

She hurried to inform that France will soon assume the EU presidency. "As the presiding country of the EU, France will have various tools at its disposal. It is unacceptable for a NATO member country to attack not only Artsakh but also Armenia. Of course, our available tools are limited, but when it comes to human rights, captives, and cultural heritage, it is a matter of our dignity to use them as much as possible. The French Senate and National Assembly have made their move; now it is the government's turn." It should be noted that in November 2021, the French Senate adopted a resolution on the necessity of recognizing the independence of Artsakh with a vote of 305 in favor and 1 against. The resolution titled 'On the Necessity of Recognizing the Republic of Artsakh' calls on the French government to recognize the independence of Artsakh to establish lasting peace in the region. The resolution also condemns Azerbaijan's military aggression, carried out with the support of Turkish authorities and foreign mercenaries, and calls for the immediate withdrawal of Azerbaijani armed forces and their supporters from the territories seized since the outbreak of hostilities on September 27. The project was presented by five senators: Bruno Retailleau, Patrick Kanner, Hervé Marseille, Éliiane Asassin, and Guillaume Gontard.