Yerevan /Mediamax/. The misunderstanding between Azerbaijan and France is now in the past, and a new period has begun in relations between the two countries.

According to TASS, this was stated by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev while accepting the credentials of the new French ambassador to Baku, Sophie Lagut.

“Recalling his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Copenhagen, Ilham Aliyev noted that the issues that had caused misunderstanding between the two countries were now in the past,” news release issued by Aliyev’s press service reads.

He noted the importance of restoring and developing business contacts and cooperating in the cultural and humanitarian spheres.

Mediamax recalls that a year ago, Ilham Aliyev sharply criticized French President Emmanuel Macron. Speaking on November 13, 2024, at the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Summit held as part of COP29, Aliyev said, in particular:

“The Macron regime killed 13 people and injured 169 during a lawful protest by the Kanak people in New Caledonia this year. 1,700 people were arrested. During protests in Martinique and Guadeloupe, also this year, 38 people were arrested. Despite all this, France has not been condemned by either the European Commission, the European Parliament, or the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. This is political hypocrisy. The European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) – two institutions that have become symbols of political corruption – share responsibility with Macron’s government for the deaths of innocent people. All political prisoners in France must be immediately released.”