Macron Faces Criticism Over Armenia Remarks

Azerbaijan's foreign ministry has condemned French President Emmanuel Macron's statements at the UN General Assembly, where he expressed support for Armenia against Azerbaijani pressure. Macron described France as standing 'shoulder to shoulder' with Armenia and emphasized the need for successful peace negotiations. In response, Azerbaijani officials accused France of showing bias towards Armenia and arming it for possible aggression against Azerbaijan. They called for an end to what they see as France's detrimental actions in the region, claiming that France has historically supported Armenia’s occupation of Azerbaijani territories. Meanwhile, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met in New York to discuss the normalization of relations, though expectations for significant EU pressure on Turkey to open its border with Armenia remain low. Analysts suggest that any resolution could potentially benefit Turkey's international standing while weakening Russian and Iranian influence in the Caucasus.