The International Eurasia Press Fund condemns in the strongest possible terms, French President Emmanuel Macron's recent announcement declaring April 24 as a day of “Armenian Genocide” remembrance in France.
By such actions, the French government expresses respect and direct support for the occupier and aggressor country that committed violence and occupied 20% of neighbouring Azerbaijan. The mass deportation of ethnic Azerbaijanis in the late 1980s from Armenia, as well as from the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and 7 adjacent Azerbaijani regions, was carried out with extreme cruelty and was accompanied by killings. More than one million Azerbaijanis were barbarously expelled from their ancestral lands, tens of thousands of people were killed, became invalids, and were kept as prisoners. In one night, from February 25 to 26, in 1992, the Armenian armed forces brutally killed 613 civilians, causing a massacre in the city of Khojaly.
To date, the Khojaly genocide has been recognized and condemned by 16 countries in the world, 24 states of the United States of America. In addition, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation adopted 13 documents related to the Khojaly genocide.
There is still no France among these countries, while in 2001 France officially recognized the “Armenian genocide”.
Today, Armenia does not retreat from the atrocities committed, on the contrary, shamelessly justifies the genocide committed against Azerbaijanis, and those who committed it are considered as national heroes there. The Armenian government continues to destroy historical monuments and architecture in the occupied territory of Azerbaijan. More than one million forcibly expelled refugees and IDPs still cannot return to their homes.
As one of the peacekeeping humanitarian organizations enjoying General Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, the International Eurasia Press Fund openly states that such actions completely contradict the status of France as one of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group to settle the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Moreover, once again, it demonstrates the policy of double standards in relation to different countries.
Such unfair behavior and support of the invaders go on contrary to European values and justice will never lead to peace but will continue to fuel the conflict.