ArmInfo.President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan expressed his gratitude to the French senators for adopting a resolution in support of Armenia. "Thank you to our partners from the French Senate for this important commitment in support of Armenia and the Armenian people," the Speaker of the National Assembly said on his Facebook page.
Yesterday evening, the French Senate adopted a resolution supporting the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia, demanding sanctions against Azerbaijan and guaranteeing the right of the Armenian population to return to Nagorno Karabakh. The resolution was adopted practically unanimously - 336 votes in favor and one against. In particular, the resolution expresses support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Armenia and condemns Azerbaijan's attack on Artsakh on September 19-20, 2023, with the support of its allies. The document calls on Azerbaijan to guarantee the right of the Armenian population to return to Nagorno-Karabakh, and to provide conditions for their safety and well-being. There is also a call for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops and their allies from the sovereign territory of Armenia. The resolution also notes that Armenia has the right to defend its territorial integrity and have the means to ensure its security, including through military means.
The document condemns the arbitrary arrests of political leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh, calls for the withdrawal of Azerbaijan from the intergovernmental committee for the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict, and notes the importance of forming an international group of UNESCO experts to be sent to Nagorno-Karabakh to prepare an informative report on the state of cultural and religious heritage.
The resolution indicates the importance of taking the most stringent measures, including the seizure of the assets of Azerbaijani leaders and the introduction of an embargo on the import of gas and oil from Azerbaijan, and the introduction of sanctions against Azerbaijan for military aggression. The resolution was co-authored by the leaders of all political factions in the Senate: Bruno Ratayo, Marise Carrere, C‚cile Soucierman, Guillaume Gontard, Patrick Kanner, Herv‚ Marcel, Claude Mallure and Francois Patria, as well as the head of the France-Armenia friendship group in the Senate, Gilbert-Luc Devinaz.
The session was chaired by the vice president of the Senate, Sophie Primas. Stephane Sejourne, the newly appointed Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, was also present at the meeting.
Armenian Ambassador to France Hasmik Tolmajian and Nagorno-Karabakh representative Hovhannes Gevorgyan were present at the session as guests of honor.
Let us also add that the resolution is advisory in nature.