French Senate to discuss resolution condemning Azerbaijan’s military offensive in Artsakh 

 
The French Senate will debate a motion for a resolution to condemn Azerbaijan’s military offensive in Artsakh and prevent any further attempts at aggression and violation of the territorial integrity of Armenia.

The motion for resolution, published on the Senate website, strongly condemns the military offensive in Artsakh committed by Azerbaijan with the support of its allies on September 19-20, 2023, which forced almost the entire Armenian population to flee.

The motion reaffirms the inviolability of the territorial integrity of Armenia and calls for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from the sovereign territory of Armenia.

It warns the French Government, the European Union, and the international community about the ambitions of Azerbaijan and Turkiye, as well as the danger they represent for the Republic of Armenia, its territorial integrity and peace in the Caucasus.

The motion calls on the French government to demand from Azerbaijan, under penalty of sanctions, the immediate release of civilian and military prisoners and the return of the bodies of Armenian soldiers killed in combat.

The French senators call for respect for the cultural and religious heritage in accordance with the international commitments of Azerbaijan and Armenia and strongly condemn the encroachments on Armenian buildings, relics, and cultural property in Artsakh.

They stress the need for the immediate deployment of an international group of UNESCO experts in Artsakh to submit a report on the state of cultural and religious heritage.

The motion invites the French Government to recognize all the diplomatic consequences of Azerbaijan’s repeated aggressive actions against Armenia and to reconsider with its European partners the EU’s relations with Azerbaijan, as well as to take decisive measures, including the seizure of assets of Azerbaijani leaders, an embargo on gas and oil imports from Azerbaijan, and sanctions against Azerbaijan.

The Senate urges the French government to make every effort to ensure Azerbaijan’s urgent and peaceful engagement in the negotiation process through diplomatic channels to achieve lasting peace in the South Caucasus.