Charter of Friendship and Cooperation signed between Ismayilli and French city of Évian-les-Bains revoked

The Council, a permanent advisory body under the auspices of the head of the Ismayilli District Executive Authority, has issued a statement announcing the revocation of the Charter of Friendship and Cooperation signed between the city of Ismayilli and the city of Évian-les-Bains.

Report informs, citing AZERTAC, that the statement reads:

“In May 2015, a Charter of Friendship and Cooperation was signed in Ismayilli between the city of Ismayilli of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the city of Évian-les-Bains of the French Republic. The purpose of signing the charter at the time was to develop friendly relations between the two cities and contribute to bilateral relations in the fields of culture, tourism and economy. Substantial steps were taken in this regard, including reciprocal visits.

"As a continuation of the cooperation, opening ceremonies of the Azerbaijani Garden, the Friendship Spring in a park, and the statue of prominent Azerbaijani poet Khurshidbanu Natavan, were held in the city of Évian in 2017.

"A plaque of the Azerbaijan-France Friendship Park was installed in Ismayilli city center park.

"The fact that Ismayilli is an ancient settlement attracting the attention of foreign tourists, as well as the inclusion of the Lahij coppersmithing art on the Representative List of UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage, created an additional incentive for intercity cooperation.

"Despite the fact that the idea of "twin cities" serves the interests of culture of different peoples and creates bridges between people of different nationalities, including the fact that this concept is outside any politics, unfortunately, the French side has politicized this issue and stopped intercity contacts as a sign of support for Armenia after the Patriotic War.

"On December 18, 2023, at a meeting of the Évian city council, groundless accusations were made against our country, and support for Armenia was expressed. Furthermore, the city mayor announced the removal of all signs related to the Azerbaijan Garden.

"Members of the Permanent Council under the auspices of the head of the Ismayilli District Executive Authority strongly condemn the biased and non-objective opinions expressed against our country at the meeting of the Évian City Municipal Council and reject the decision regarding the Azerbaijan Garden. As a sign of protest against France's anti-Azerbaijani policy on all platforms and the decision of the Évian city council to remove the signs of the Azerbaijan Garden, the Charter of Friendship and Cooperation signed between the cities of Ismayilli and Évian-les-Bains has been revoked since 26 December 2023.

"Additionally, Ismayilli city center park will now be named after the famous Azerbaijani poet Khurshidbanu Natavan."