The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Azerbaijani parliament recommended Thursday to cut all economic ties with France and to expel French companies, including Total, a new example of the deterioration of relations between Paris and Baku. The elected officials recommended the implementation of “sanctions” against France and the “suspension of all economic ties” with it, according to a press release.
They also suggested “getting all French companies out of Azerbaijan, including Total” and banning them from any participation in projects initiated by the government of this country, very rich in hydrocarbons, where the French group is very established. The commission accuses France of pursuing a policy going “against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan”.
A response to the vote of French senators
The tone has been rising for months between France and Azerbaijan, which criticizes Paris for its support for Armenia. The two Caucasian countries have a tenacious hatred for each other and have clashed several times over Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous enclave finally taken back militarily by Azerbaijan in September. The recommendations expressed by Azerbaijani elected officials are a response to a resolution adopted Wednesday by the French Senate, which condemned Azerbaijan’s military offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh and called for sanctions.
The Azerbaijani commission also recommended “taking measures” towards the recognition of the independence of Corsica, New Caledonia and French Polynesia. TotalEnergies has been established in Azerbaijan since 1996 and works there “in the distribution of lubricants”, according to its website. In September, the French group participated in the inauguration of the Absheron gas field, in which it holds a stake, in the presence of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev.
Talks in progress between Azerbaijan and Armenia
TotalEnergies also said it wanted to “participate in the development of the country’s renewable energy potential”, as part of an agreement signed in June, according to a press release. Ilham Aliev has repeatedly accused France of “preparing” for a new war in the Caucasus by supplying weapons to Armenia. Baku and Yerevan both say they want to conclude a peace treaty, but observers remain cautious about the progress of the talks, as there are so many disagreements.
At the beginning of January, Azerbaijan also called on the country to stop any “interference” in its internal affairs, after the arrest of a Frenchman accused of espionage by Baku, which was denounced by Paris as “arbitrary”.