Azerbaijan leader says EU, France ‘demonising’ his country

BAKU (AFP): Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday accused EU and French leaders of demonising his country and insisted Baku has no plans to attack arch-foe Armenia.

The remarks came as Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers met for peace talks in Berlin, in a new push to resolve a decades-long conflict between the neighbouring Caucasus countries.

The EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrel said last month that “any violation of Armenia’s territorial integrity will be unacceptable and will have severe consequences for our relations with Azerbaijan.”

During a meeting with a German economic delegation on Wednesday, Aliyev denounced Borrel’s comments as a “covert threat towards Azerbaijan.”

He said Azerbaijan has no plans to attack Armenia and is committed to peace talks.

The Azerbaijani leader also blasted French President Emmanuel Macron.

“This is Macron’s insinuation,” he said. “This is part of the policy of Azerbaijan’s demonisation.”

Armenia has said it fears a further Azerbaijani assault after Baku seized control of Nagorno-Karabakh in a lighting offensive last September.

That campaign saw the enclave’s entire Armenian population — more than 100,000 people — flee to Armenia.

Since then, Baku has repeatedly accused Paris, and Macron personally, of being biased towards Yerevan and of trying to incite conflicts in the Caucasus by arming Armenian military.

In December, Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry said it has expelled two French diplomats over actions it said were “incompatible with their diplomatic status”.