PARIS — France stepped up on Tuesday criticism of Azerbaijan’s blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh’s only land link with the outside world, with Foreign Minister 0 saying that it is aimed at forcing the Karabakh Armenians to leave their homeland.
“The strategy of stifling, which aims to provoke a mass exodus of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, is illegal, as was established by the [International Court of Justice,] and it is also immoral,” Colonna declared during an annual conference of French ambassadors held in Paris.
She also noted that France will mobilize forces to establish a just and lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Colonna noted that this will make it possible to delimit the borders of the two countries.
According to the French Foreign Minister, a just and stable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan will also allow the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to live in their homeland and their rights, culture and history will be respected.
Speaking at the conference on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said Paris will try to drum up stronger international pressure on Azerbaijan to end the blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, medicine and other basic necessities in Karabakh.
