The South Caucasus is getting worldwide attention again due to its diplomatic situation. This follows the 19th Summit of the International Organization of La Francophonie in France on October 4-5, 2024. To promote the interest of Armenia, this nation used this summit to get advantage. This situation has become the cause of tension with Azerbaijan and worries for France, favoring Armenia too much.
France received criticism due to its favoritism of Armenia. Many people believe that these resolutions were only politically motivated and did not make any effort to solve the humanitarian crisis. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan blamed Azerbaijan for the summit. He said Azerbaijan wants peace, but Amenia’s aggressive actions are the great hurdle for it. This strategy shows the dual action of Armenia. The nation is trying to gain sympathy while not focusing on its actions. It includes military exercises and increasing its weapons.
The final declaration of the summit addressed humanitarian issues. However, it unfairly painted Azerbaijan as the main rule-breaker. It also talked about releasing separatist leaders in Garabagh instead of regular citizens, which highlights a biased approach.
France’s involvement in the South Caucasus has only increased in complexity with time. France is a great supporter of Armenia under the leadership of Emmanuel Macron. This nation promotes its opinions internationally, as seen in the recent Francophonie summit. This raises questions about France’s humanitarian leadership role, especially given its colonial history. Furthermore, the South Caucasus is one of the most crucial and rich in the energy sector. This ability made it a target for France’s desire to regain influence.
Due to expanding French power in Africa, Macron has faced many complexities. Military withdrawals from places like Mali show this. Azerbaijan is strongly against France due to its actions and support for Armenia. According to this nation, France’s favoritism is unjust and unfair. In past conflicts, Azerbaijan’s suffering has been ignored due to a central focus on human rights violations in Garabagh.
So, France’s actions in the region reflect a broader strategy to strengthen its influence, even at the expense of fair relations with Azerbaijan and Armenia.
France is losing its power in various regions. The nation wants to regain its influence in the South Caucasus. France’s true aim is to weaken the strength of Azerbaijan. For this reason, it supports Armenia. Azerbaijan’s independent policies are a great hurdle in France’s goals.
The results from the Francophonie summit and France’s support from Armenia do not pave the way to bring peace. These actions by France make the conflict even worse. To bring about peace, it is important to find fair mediators that don’t support favoritism.
France’s recent actions have pushed Azerbaijan away and raised doubts about its intentions. Instead of being a helpful ally, France has chosen to side with Armenia, harming its global reputation. This approach makes it harder to find a peaceful solution and increases divisions in the South Caucasus.
The Francophonie Summit is now becoming more powerful in the case of referring countries to come into power instead of just a cultural meeting. France is infringing on Armenia just to improve its influence in the South Caucasus, something that Azerbaijan feels is unfair.
Azerbaijan can denounce France’s activity because it might hurt its communication with Azerbaijan and also damage France’s image as an unbiased member of world dialogue.
This quarrel leaves Azerbaijan and Armenia in a critical situation. Azerbaijan has a strong relationship with Russia and Turkey. On the other hand, Armenia is looking for support from Western nations, particularly the EU and France. During the apex, Armenian commander Pashinyan made a wish to sign a deal with Belgian Prime Minister De Croo and French leader Macron.
But Azerbaijan rejected this agreement, determined to make a smooth way for transport on behalf of all key issues. The favoritism of France in this case may lead to a critical upset for its status in international affairs.
