Expert: French presidential candidate’s trip to Karabakh - provocation

The trip of French presidential candidate, head of the Paris region Ile-de-France Valerie Pecresse to Khankandi is a provocation and negatively affects bilateral relations between France and Azerbaijan, expert and political scientist Zaur Mammadov told Report.

“Unfortunately, this time again we saw a provocation on the part of French politicians. Instead of traveling to the regions of France and engaging in the election campaign, this candidate travels first to Armenia and then to Khankandi and is engaged in her PR campaign there. I think that the French population on the day of the presidential election will ask this question to Pecresse,” he said.

‘On the other hand, why is Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan on the one hand in favor of opening communication and transport projects in the region, but on the other hand, he and his government commit similar provocations in Karabakh? Of course, here a large share of responsibility lies with the peacekeepers,” he said.

Mammadov added that Russian peacekeepers should not allow foreigners to enter these territories without coordinating this issue with Azerbaijan: “After all, the main essence of the Lachin corridor is not that foreigners and some provocateurs go to these territories. The main purpose is that the local population would travel along this road, and foreign citizens must coordinate this issue with the Azerbaijani side.”

“Such visits impede the process of negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, violate the trilateral agreement between Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia. Those who engage in such provocations actually very seriously harm the local Armenian population and this will negatively affect the citizens of Armenia itself. Yerevan must clearly understand that some forces are using them in their personal interests,” Mammadov added.