BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 11. France should
support the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, instead
of casting oil into the fire, French Senator, member of the Nizami
Ganjavi International Center, Nathalie Goulet, said in an exclusive
interview with Trend, as she has visited Baku.
Speaking about the normalization process between Azerbaijan and
Armenia, Goulet said she was confident that the current momentum
would lead to further progress.
“I am almost sure that things are going to be resolved. The
commitment and political will demonstrated by both sides appear to
be very strong. I think we have to trust the peace process. I was
in Istanbul last week, and when you are at the airport and see
Turkish Airlines now operating flights to Yerevan, Armenia, it is
something that would have been unthinkable years ago. Today, it has
become part of daily life — there is a regular flight connection
between Istanbul and Yerevan. That is what the peace process looks
like in practice. And we, as friends, simply have to support peace
and not cast oil into the fire,” the senator noted.
Goulet also praised Azerbaijan’s decision to lift transit
restrictions for Armenia.
“If you provide economic support and create business
opportunities, people will gradually stop thinking about war and
the past. They will focus instead on supporting the business
community, creating opportunities, improving their livelihoods, and
raising their standard of living. They can also look at the example
of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia and see how it can
work at the regional level. It is like putting together a puzzle.
Armenia is one of the three parts of the South Caucasus, and this
entire process can contribute to the development and stability of
the whole region,” she added.
Azerbaijan as a strategic partner for
Europe
Commenting on Azerbaijan-EU relations, Goulet said she had long
argued that Azerbaijan was an important European partner in the
South Caucasus.
“I wrote about it many times in the past, that Azerbaijan has
been an important partner for Europe in the South Caucasus. Many
people were skeptical about it. That is often the view of people
who do not really know the region and have never even looked at a
map. But for me it has always been obvious — like two plus two
equals four. Azerbaijan has consistently been a reliable partner
for Europe, not only in terms of energy, but also in terms of
regional stability, thanks to the prudent policies pursued by
President Ilham Aliyev, especially considering the very complex
neighborhood in which the country is located. People need to
understand that you cannot judge a country without knowing it and
understanding its regional environment. I think this requires a
great deal of wise and open diplomacy. We also saw during the
recent conflicts that Azerbaijan provided humanitarian assistance,
including food supplies, to Iran. That reflects a non-aligned
approach,” said the French senator.
Goulet added that many critics of Azerbaijan in France had never
visited the country.
“Many people — including, perhaps, some senior French officials
— have never even visited Azerbaijan. Before making judgments,
especially negative ones, it would be better for them to come here
and see the realities on the ground for themselves. The reality is
that people simply did not want to see it earlier. This country has
not fundamentally changed; what has changed is the way others
perceive it, largely because circumstances have forced them to do
so. When you find yourself with your back against the wall, you
have to look carefully at who your friends are and who your
adversaries are. The energy crisis, the consequences of the war in
Ukraine, and the very predictable nature of Russian policy have all
pushed Europe to seek stability. And that is exactly what I was
saying ten years ago: we do not need another area of instability in
this region. We need stability. In many ways, recent developments
have confirmed that assessment,” she said.
A new chapter in French-Azerbaijani
relations
Turning to bilateral relations, Goulet said the time had come
for France and Azerbaijan to move forward.
“With the progress of the peace process between Azerbaijan and
Armenia, the efforts and commitment of President Ilham Aliyev, and
the results of the elections in Armenia, I believe we definitely
have to turn the page. A new chapter is beginning, and we should
focus on the future. We need to rebuild the excellent relations
that Azerbaijan and France had in the past and overcome the
misunderstandings that have affected our bilateral ties,” she
said.
She emphasized the importance of restoring parliamentary
cooperation.
“We also have to restart parliamentary relations, which are very
important — not only for the region but also for addressing many
issues within our parliaments. We still have a friendship group in
the Senate, but here in Azerbaijan the friendship group has been
completely dissolved. So, we need to rebuild it. I think this may
take some time, but with goodwill, it is possible. I have already
written to the Speaker of the Senate in France, in my assembly, to
ask whether I could lead the friendship group. I believe this could
be a good starting point,” said the French senator.
She highlighted the phone talks between France’s President
Emmanuel Macron and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev earlier
this year.
Commenting on recent tensions caused by statements from France’s
Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs regarding Karabakh and
human rights issues, she said Paris and Baku needed to improve
their relationship: “We have to turn the page and do much better
now.”
Goulet also expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to
France Leyla Abdullayeva and France’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan
Sophie Laghout for their contribution to the development of
bilateral relations.
The senator also called for renewed cooperation in the cultural
sphere.
