Aliyev pledges support for independence of French overseas territories

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev vowed on Saturday to support the independence of France’s overseas territories, marking another escalation in the ongoing tensions between Azerbaijan and Paris over conflicts in the Caucasus region.

Aliyev has accused France of meddling in Azerbaijani affairs through its interactions with Armenia, with which Azerbaijan has fought two wars in the past 30 years over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Recently, Azerbaijani leaders have turned their attention to France’s South Pacific territory of New Caledonia, which has been experiencing weeks of violence due to objections from Indigenous Kanak activists over a contentious electoral reform.

Speaking at a media forum ahead of the Paris Olympic Games, and following a pro-independence congress in Baku, Aliyev pledged unwavering support for the independence movements in French territories. “We will support you until you are free,” Aliyev declared, highlighting French territories he claimed were still under colonial rule, such as the Comoros islands and Mayotte.

Earlier in the week, Baku hosted a congress organized by an “initiative group” that brought together pro-independence activists from New Caledonia and other French territories, including Corsica and islands in the Caribbean and Pacific. The congress participants sharply criticized French authorities, and an Azerbaijani delegation was invited to visit New Caledonia.

In May, France accused Azerbaijan of meddling in New Caledonia’s affairs and fueling unrest by disseminating misleading photos and videos targeting French police on social media. Azerbaijan has denied these allegations.

Tensions between Azerbaijan and France have been further strained by France’s perceived favoritism towards Armenia in peace negotiations to end the decades-long conflict and by France’s defense contracts with Yerevan. Last December, Azerbaijan expelled two French diplomats in response to these issues.

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