Paris. 9 August. REPORT.AZ/ Interview of the Western European Bureau of Report with professor of geopolitics at the University of Sorbonne, deputy mayor of the 5th district of Paris Jacques Soppelsa.
- You are the co-author of the book "Azerbaijan - the leader of the South Caucasus", tell me how the French public took this publication?
- In 2015 I wrote this book in co-authorship with the doctor of political science of the Sorbonne University Turab Gurbanov.The publication caused a sharp protest and anger of the Armenian diaspora in France.They took an aggressive stance against me because of this book.But our book was very cordially welcomed by the public and universities of the country. I believe that Armenians in Armenia are not as aggressive as their compatriots in France.Despite the fact that younger generation of Armenians living in France have never lived in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, they behave very aggressively.We held a presentation of the book in the 5th Municipality of Paris.The representatives of the Armenian Diaspora behaved very aggressively. All this is a consequence of the propaganda carried out by the Armenian Diaspora in France. I believe that we should treat this as a problem, and try to eradicate it.
- As you know, Nagorno-Karabakh and 7 surrounding regions are occupied by Armenia. How do you think it is possible to spread Azerbaijani realities in France?
-It is very important to promote the Azerbaijani realities all over the world, including in France. Everyone should know the truth. Azerbaijan is the aggrieved party of the conflict. Amir Aliyev's book "Azerbaijan in the target of international crimes: legal analysis" is devoted to the legal aspects of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, as well as the analysis of the situation in the South Caucasus, revealing historical and fundamental truths. The translation of this book into French is of particular importance in terms of reporting truths in France.
France is the co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group. How can you explain the sluggish position of official Paris in the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement?
France is a member of the UN Security Council and the OSCE Minsk Group. France as an intermediary can play a huge role in the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement. True, this is more like a utopia, but do not forget that France has a fairly high authority in the region. The thing is Armenian diaspora plays a negative role here. In some regions of France the Armenian lobby is quite strong. For example, Azerbaijan has put forward its candidacy for membership in the International Organization of La Francophonie. However, as a result of the influence of the Armenian diaspora, Azerbaijan has not been admitted to this organization.
- Do you consider activities of the OSCE Minsk Group in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict satisfactory?
- In the XIX-XX centuries, especially in the Soviet period, there was a massive resettlement of the population, as a result of which the demographic situation was changed. So, the region has turned into a hotbed of conflict. The Azerbaijanis were driven from their homes and still cannot return there.
For many years, the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group on the road to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have not yielded any results. I regret the weakness of this organization in the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. UN Security Council has five permanent members, three of whom are co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. I think it is necessary to increase the number of co-chairmen, attract new states to the Minsk Group.