French Senate Adopts Resolution Calling for Sanctions Against Azerbaijan, Supports Armenia’s Territorial Integrity

PARIS — The French Senate has adopted a resolution demanding sanctions against Azerbaijan with 336 votes in favor and one against, the Armenian Embassy in France said in a statement.

“Today, the French Senate discussed the inter-party resolution proposed on December 1, 2023, aimed at “condemning Azerbaijan’s military offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh and preventing further attempts at aggression and violations of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia.”

The resolution also calls for sanctions against Azerbaijan and demands the guarantee of the right of return for the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, ensuring conditions that will ensure their safety and well-being.

The resolution calls for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the troops of Azerbaijan and its allies from the sovereign territory of Armenia.

It states that Armenia has the right to protect its territorial integrity and possesses the means to ensure its security, including through military measures.

The resolution also condemns the arbitrary arrests of political leaders in Nagorno-Karabakh, calls for the exclusion of Azerbaijan from the intergovernmental committee for the protection of cultural property in armed conflict.

It highlights the establishment of an international group of experts at UNESCO and its mission to Nagorno-Karabakh to prepare an informative report on the state of cultural and religious heritage.

The resolution also calls for the strictest measures, including the seizure of the assets of Azerbaijani leaders and an embargo on the import of gas and oil from Azerbaijan as a sanction against military aggression by Azerbaijan.

The resolution was co-authored by the leaders of all political factions in the Senate: Bruno Ratayo, Marise Carrere, Cécile Soucierman, Guillaume Gontard, Patrick Kanner, Hervé Marcel, Claude Mallure and Francois Patria, as well as the head of the France-Armenia friendship group in the Senate, Gilbert-Luc Devinaz.