PARIS (Realist English). On November 15, the French Senate almost unanimously adopted a resolution calling on the government of Emmanuel Macron to impose sanctions against the kingpin of the Baku minisultanate, Ilham Aliyev, and his entourage for war crimes in Artsakh and Armenia.
A total of 296 senators participated in the vote. 295 senators voted in favor of the resolution. Against it was only 1 senator.
The resolution demands the withdrawal of Baku gangs from the sovereign territory of Armenia. The senators call for the release of all Armenian prisoners of war and their repatriation to the homeland.
Parliamentarians from all factions also propose that the French government, in cooperation with European partners, provide for diplomatic and economic measures as punishment for aggression, including the application of sanctions that will target the assets of the Azerbaijani authorities.
Members of the Senate confirm the need to recognize the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, suggesting the Elysee Palace to open a humanitarian office in Artsakh;
The authors of the resolution proposed to provide military assistance to Armenia to strengthen its defense capability.
The authors of the senators are Bruno Retaio, Christian Cambon, Éliane Assassi, Patrick Kanner, Hervé Marseille and Gilbert–Luc Devinaz.
Realist English cites the theses of Senator Retaio (Republicans Party) from the politician’s presentation in parliament:
“Armenia must not be left alone… the resolution should show Armenia our solidarity, consistency and firmness.”
“We should impose sanctions against the Azerbaijani leadership – freeze their assets. We are not talking about an embargo on oil and gas supplies. But the French government must take firm political and diplomatic steps.”
“Russia has violated international law and Ukraine’s sovereignty. Her actions were condemned. Sanctions have been imposed against Russia. And what about Azerbaijan and Turkey? Nothing! No sanctions! Does this mean that the sovereignty of the Ukraine is more important to us than the sovereignty of Armenia? Does this mean that the suffering of the Ukrainians is more important for us than the suffering of the Armenians? Of course not!”.
“In the East, Europe is facing Russian imperialism. But in the South we are dealing with Turkish imperialism. We are threatened by the project of pan-Turkism and the restoration of the new Ottoman Empire. It was Erdoğan, not me, who said that Turkey and Azerbaijan are “two states and one nation.” And their aggression occurs in three stages. At the first stage, Azerbaijan attacks Armenian Karabakh in order to squeeze out the Armenian residents. At the second stage, they will drive the Armenians from the rest of the lands in order to reach Nakhichevan and create a continuous space under their control. And at the third stage, they will try to erase Armenia and the Armenian people from the maps of Europe.”
“What is France’s choice? We are choosing, as Churchill said on the eve of the Second World War, “between war and shame”…If we do nothing, we will betray ourselves and our history. And in the end we will still get a war.”
