BAKU - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan has condemned what it describes as the misuse of the International Organization of the Francophonie (IOF) by Armenia, supported openly by France, to target Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

According to Trend News Agency, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry expressed disappointment over France's role as chair of the IOF, accusing it of "brazenly violating the universally established practice" for preparing documents within multilateral formats. The ministry highlighted that the outcome document of the IOF, an organization focused on cultural-humanitarian cooperation, was manipulated to include provisions against Azerbaijan, a non-member state.

The statement detailed that the controversial provisions lacked consensus at the IOF Summit, and several reservations were noted against these clauses. Despite these issues, Armenia attempted to present the inclusion of these provisions as a diplomatic victory, an effort Azerbaijan labels as unsuccessful and devoid of any legal or political weight.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry criticized both Armenia for its continuous attempts to challenge Azerbaijan's sovereignty and France for exploiting the situation for its interests. It praised those IOF member states that resisted France's influence, adhering instead to international law and the organization's humanitarian focus.

Furthermore, Azerbaijan called on Armenia to cease its provocative actions and engage constructively in the normalization process, including amending its constitution and other laws that assert territorial claims against Azerbaijan. The ministry emphasized Azerbaijan's commitment to this normalization process, urging Armenia to choose cooperation over confrontation.