BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 3. The Baku Initiative
Group strongly condemns the adoption by the Corsican Assembly of a
legislative initiative concerning the so-called "Republic of
Artsakh" and Armenian citizens prosecuted in the Republic of
Azerbaijan.
This was reflected in a statement issued by the Baku Initiative
Group.
The Group described the initiative as a one-sided, provocative
and politically motivated move that contradicts fundamental
principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and
non-interference in internal affairs, while repeating geopolitical
narratives promoted by official Paris.
"The conduct of those supporting this initiative cannot be
regarded as an independent expression of the political will of the
Corsican people. By choosing to act as transmitters of France's
foreign policy agenda, they have turned into political instruments
of Paris - effectively, its marionettes - rather than
representatives who should defend Corsica's national interests,
language, culture and identity.
The hypocrisy of this position is particularly striking. The
same political circles that loudly speak about the right to
self-determination thousands of kilometres away refuse to ensure
even the most basic linguistic and political rights of the Corsican
people in Corsica itself," the statement said.
The Baku Initiative Group noted that under Article 2 of the
French Constitution, French remains the only official language of
the Republic. It added that French judicial authorities annulled
provisions recognizing Corsican and French as languages of debate
in the Corsican Assembly and as working languages of the Corsican
Executive. In June 2025, the French Council of State refused to
consider the Corsican authorities' appeal against those
decisions.
The Group also stressed that although France signed the European
Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in 1999, it has not
ratified the document to date.
"The Council of Europe expressly recognizes Corsican as one of
the historical regional languages covered by the Charter.
Before adopting initiatives concerning the South Caucasus, these
representatives should answer several questions:
Why do they remain subordinate to a state that refuses to grant
the Corsican language equal institutional status?
Why do they not show the same determination in opposing the
centralizing and deliberate assimilation policies carried out by
Paris?
Why do they use the language of decolonization abroad while
ignoring the continuing consequences of French domination over
Corsican identity, education, language and political
decision-making?" the statement said.
The Baku Initiative Group stressed that it clearly distinguishes
between the Corsican people and individuals who serve the interests
of the French government and choose political obedience to Paris
instead of defending Corsica’s national interests.
"The Corsican people deserve representatives who protect the
Corsican language, preserve Corsican culture and consistently
defend the right of the people to determine their own political
future - not representatives who have become instruments of French
foreign policy," the statement said.
The Group called on the Corsican Assembly to focus primarily on
the unresolved rights of the Corsican people.
It stated that the Assembly should demand from France: full
institutional recognition of the Corsican language; guarantees for
its unrestricted use in education, administration and public life;
ratification of the European Charter for Regional or Minority
Languages; protection of Corsican national identity and culture;
genuine respect for the political will and right to
self-determination of the Corsican people.
The Baku Initiative Group also called on the Corsican Assembly
to preserve its political and institutional independence and
prevent itself from becoming an instrument for advancing the French
state’s national agenda. "As the representative body of the
Corsican people, the Assembly must defend their linguistic,
cultural and political rights and must not allow itself to be used
to legitimize policies that undermine Corsican identity and
aspirations," the statement concluded.
