The Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan, on Tuesday, declared two French embassy staff members unwelcome in the country, citing behavior inconsistent with their diplomatic roles.
The ministry, which had summoned the French ambassador to express its complaints, did not specify the incident leading to this decision.
The decision reflects ongoing tensions between Azerbaijan and France. Azerbaijan has criticized France for allegedly favoring Armenia in peace talks facilitated by Europe.
In November, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev accused France of escalating conflicts in the Caucasus by providing arms to Armenia.
Azerbaijan and Armenia have conflicted with the Nagorno-Karabakh region, with two wars fought over this territory. Azerbaijan regained control of the area in September following a swift military campaign against Armenian separatists, who had managed it for thirty years.
Despite hopes of a comprehensive peace agreement by year’s end, negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, mediated by international parties including the European Union (EU), have seen limited progress. Azerbaijani President Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have held multiple discussions under EU mediation.
However, Aliyev declined to participate in talks scheduled in Spain in October, citing France’s alleged partiality. The meeting was supposed to be mediated by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and European Council President Charles Michel.
