EU mission may expand amid border unrest, says France

PanARMENIAN.Net - French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, speaking ahead of the European Union Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg, expressed deep concern over rising tensions along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.

"I am very concerned about the increase in tensions at the border. I hope the European Union mission can be expanded to monitor and help de-escalate the situation," Barrot said, as reported by Radar.am .

He also stressed the importance of signing a peace agreement and called for the release of Armenian prisoners held unlawfully.

In response, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ayhan Hajizadeh criticized Barrot's comments, accusing France of inconsistency. He cited France's arms supplies to Armenia and what he called a long-standing anti-Azerbaijani policy, as reported by APA.

Hajizadeh reiterated Azerbaijan’s position that Armenia must amend its Constitution and accused France of destabilizing the region by interfering in the peace process.

He further accused France of obstructing investigations into the cases of Armenian prisoners of war.

"Creating obstacles to the judicial process for individuals accused of crimes against humanity not only hinders the investigation but also undermines accountability for such crimes," Hajizadeh stated.

On April 13 at approximately 22:20, units of the Azerbaijani armed forces fired in the direction of Khnatsakh village in Armenia’s Syunik Province, damaging the local cultural center. No injuries were reported, according to the Armenian Ministry of Defense.

"The Azerbaijani side is urged to investigate the shelling of the Khnatsakh cultural center and issue a public explanation," the statement said.