President Emmanuel Macron of France said his country must maintain the international pressure to address the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh, adding that the “time for diplomacy is over.”
As the French daily Le Figaro reported on Friday that France is poised to introduce a resolution in the United Nations Security Council regarding the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh, the French Embassy in Armenia did not confirm or deny the report.
It simply pointed to remarks made by Macron a day earlier in an interview with another French publication, Le Point.
“Our approach [to the Artsakh situation] is clear. We deplore and condemn it, but not is not the time for diplomacy,” Macron told Le Point.
Macron was careful not to use the word “genocide,” as was pressed by the Le Point reporter. Instead he highlighted the role that France should play in advancing the humanitarian agenda.
“I would avoid using this term hastily,” Macron told Le Point. “We have an unacceptable humanitarian situation, especially as a result of the closure of the Lachin Corridor. France’s role is to press for humanitarian aid and we are doing everything we can to achieve this. In particular, we continue to take measures to ensure the delivery of food and medicine and to ensure free access to Nagorno-Karabakh.”
“Furthermore,” he said, “Armenia’s own borders are at risk.”
Luis Ocampo, the former prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, in a report issued earlier this month said that a genocide was being carried out and perpetrated by Azerbaijan and its president, Ilham Aliyev.
In the Le Point interview, Macron emphasized France’s ongoing support for Artsakh and emphasized the importance of a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“We have always said that we support the sovereignty of the people. The issue of Nagorno-Karabakh is complex one and I won’t go into detail about complicated aspects of this issue,” Macron said. “France condemned the 2020 war with clarity and has organized several humanitarian operations.”
“Today, we are doing everything for the establishment of lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the protection of the people and their culture. This peace agreement is necessary, but it must be [achieved] in accordance with international law,” Macron emphasized.
