Mr. President!
On December 22, 2021, ValeriPekres, the candidate of the Republican Party of your country in the presidential elections, together with her advisers illegally crossed the borders of the Republic of Azerbaijan recognized by the international community and visited the city of Khankendi in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. This is a gross violation of international law.
Mrs. Pekres and her advisers, as well as representatives of the Armenian Diaspora, dress up the conflict in the media in religious garb, touch people’s religious feelings and do not hesitate to express ugly views against the Azerbaijani state and people.
Your country’s presidential candidate is free to campaign in his or her home country. However, her arrival in Azerbaijan may take place if her appeal to the relevant authorities of the republic is allowed. Unfortunately, Mrs. Pekres secretly visited Karabakh in violation of international law and held a meeting there.
The French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian should have responded to Eric Siotti, a Republican member of the National Assembly, who tried to insult the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan with provocative intentions by making an inappropriate diplomatic statement in the National Assembly on January 18. Minister Le Drian said the statement of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan regarding Valery Pekres illegal visiting to the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan “is unacceptable in its form and essence”. It is a pity that the Foreign Minister of a country with such great statehood traditions as France does not understand this. We remind that when foreign citizens illegally visit the territory of Azerbaijan, appropriate measures are taken against them either in accordance with the administrative or criminal code of the country. If a citizen of the Republic of Azerbaijan entered French territory in violation of French law, appropriate measures would probably be taken against him.
By not considering all this in accordance with the relations between France and Azerbaijan, the messages you have recently given during your meeting with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan IlhamAliyev on your initiative in Brussels contradict the statement of Minister of foreign affairs of your country Le Drian and do not serve the normalization of Azerbaijani-French relations.
President IlhamAliyev’s statement on the illegal visit of French representatives to the territories of Azerbaijan is completely legitimate, it is a completely adequate response to those who violate the laws of Azerbaijan. France, being one of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, created primarily to resolve the 30-year conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, is obliged as a co-chair state to maintain neutrality between the parties.
The agreement signed between the two countries on December 20, 1993 serves to develop friendship and cooperation and imposes obligations on them in accordance with the principles of international law and norms.
Mr. President!
Taking into account the requirements of French national legislation, we ask you to respond appropriately to prevent such illegal visits and to prevent the recurrence of such cases in the future.
Executive Committee of Azerbaijan Trade Union Confederation⁚
Chairman of Azerbaijan Trade
Union Confederation, Member of S.Mohbaliyev
Parliament
First vice-chairman of Azerbaijan Trade I.Aliyev
Union Confederation
Vice-chairman of Azerbaijan Trade A.Dadashov
Union Confederation
Vice-chairman of Azerbaijan Trade J.Alkhasov
Union Confederation
Vice-chairman of Azerbaijan Trade H.Osmanov
Union Confederation
Vice-chairman of Azerbaijan Trade A.Aghasiyev
Union Confederation
Chairman of the Aviation Workers’ M.Asadov
Trade Union Republican Committee
Chairman of Trade Union of Motor H.Kerimov
Transport and Roads Employees
Chairman of Free Trade Union of H.Gurbanov
Azerbaijan National Academy of
Science Employees
Chairman of the Municipal Workers’ M.Khalilov
Trade Union Republican Committee
Chairman of the Baku Steel Company A.Abbasov
Workers’ Union
Chairman of the Independent Railway Workers’ F. Bagirov
Trade Union Republican Committee
Chairman of Maritime Transport Workers’ S.Allahverdiyev
Trade Union Republican Committee
Chairman of Electric power and Electrical A. Atakishiyev,
Engineering Industrial Workers’ Trade Union
Republican Committee
Chairman of Trade Union Committee M.Ismayilov
Employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations
Chairman of Trade Union of Customs S.Ibrahimov
Workers Union
Vice-President of «Xidmət-İş» Trade J. Ismayilov
Union Federation
Chairman of Trade Union of U.Huseynov
Construction Workers
Chairman of Water Resources Workers’ A.Mammadov
Trade Union Republican Committee
Chairman of « Kənd-Qida-İş» T.Guliyev
Trade Union
Chairman of Metal Workers Trade Union B. Yusifov
Federation
Chairman of the Cultural Workers’ J.Sattarova
Trade Union Republican Committee
Chairman of Defense Industry Workers’ S.Mahmudov
Trade Union Republican Committee
Chairman of the Metro Workers’ Union A.Mardanov
Chairman of the Trade Union Council A.Ibrahimov
of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic
Chairman of Oil and Gas Industry Workers’ J.Aliyev
Trade Union Republican Committee
Chairman of Azerbaijan Transport,
Communications and High Technology R.Safarov
Workers’ Trade Union Republican Committee
Chairman of Entrepreneurship, Private Science
and Light Industry Workers’ Trade Union M.Salmanov
Republican Committee
Chairman of the Health Workers’ E. Afandiyev
Trade Union Republican Committee
Chairman of the Natural Resources and
Environmental Workers’ Trade Union T. Guliyev
Republican Committee
First vice-chairman of Free Education Workers’ H. Nagiyev
Trade Union Republican Committee
Chairman of Local Industrial and Communal
Enterprises Workers’ Trade Union Republican T.Hajiyev
Committee