"In those years when our lands were under the occupation of Armenian aggressors, despite the fact that there were four resolutions of the UN Security Council on the unconditional withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from all the occupied territories, France did not even once express the rightful demand of Azerbaijan."
This was said by Tahir Rzayev, a member of the Milli Majlis.
Fakt Yoxla checked whether the MP's claim was true.
"Voicing the rightful demand of Azerbaijan" in this claim is understood as declaring the occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan recognized under international law, the withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from these territories, and emphasizing this in speeches, statements, and other official legal documents.
Regarding the occupied territories around Nagorno-Karabakh:
As a permanent member, France voted in favor of 4 resolutions of the UN Security Council (SC) No. 822, 853, 874, and 884 regarding the Karabakh War.
According to these resolutions adopted in 1993, the Armenian armed units had to leave the occupied Kalbajar, Aghdam, Fuzuli, Jabrayil, Gubadli, Zangilan, and other territories. Each of the 4 resolutions was unanimously adopted by the members of the SC. It should be noted that according to the working principle of the SC, each of the 5 permanent members of the UNSC has the right to veto the issues discussed at the meeting. If a member "vetoes", then no document can be accepted. In other words, the votes of France also played a decisive role in the adoption of resolutions.
In 2007, the Madrid Principles proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group, one of the co-chairing states of which is France, regarding the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, emphasized the withdrawal of Armenia and the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh armed forces" from all occupied territories around Nagorno-Karabakh. In other words, along with the other two co-chair countries, France also accepted and declared the fact of the occupation of Azerbaijani territories.
Regarding Nagorno-Karabakh:
The leaders of the French state have stated at different times that France does not recognize the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic".
For example, in 2018, when asked about the objection to the visit of the representatives of the so-called “Nagorno-Karabakh Republic” to France, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that France does not recognize the so-called “Nagorno-Karabakh Republic” and does not have any relations with those who claim to be its representatives.
The position of the French state regarding the signing of numerous agreements in the form of friendship charters between French municipalities and the local authorities of the so-called “Nagorno-Karabakh Republic” was again unequivocal. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that "the agreements signed by the local authorities do not represent the position of the French government and have no legal consequences."
It should be recalled that Fakt Yoxla mentioned in one of its previous articles that although the French Parliament adopted resolutions recognizing the independence of the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic", the French government and president did not agree to these resolutions and did not recognize the independence of the so-called regime. French President Macron also stated that "According to international law, Nagorno-Karabakh and other districts adjacent to it are considered the territory of Azerbaijan. Therefore, it is unacceptable to intervene in the affairs of a sovereign state without its consent."
Thus, France expressed the fact of the occupation of the lands of Azerbaijan, the withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories, in other words, the rightful demand of Azerbaijan.
Fakt Yoxla concludes that the claim of the MP is False.
