French officials urge Macron to introduce resolution at UN Security Council in support of Artsakh

What’s happening in Artsakh today resembles genocide, the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, said at a press conference in Kornidzor, Armenia.

She noted that this has been acknowledged by international experts, including former prosecutor of the International Court of Justice, the Special Adviser to UN Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide.

“Ethnic cleansing and genocide by an authoritarian regime against people who simply want their rights to be respected. We are here to witness and condemn this situation, and we also appeal to the President of France to utilize the position of France in the UN Security Council to push for adoption of a resolution to ensure the protection of rights of the Artsakh people,” she said.

“We are here to deliver two messages. The first message is rather addressed to international public opinion. All people present here are well aware what’s happening here, but the same cannot be said about people outside this hall and outside Armenia,” said Xavier Bertrand, president of the regional council of Hauts-de-France.

“Azerbaijan wants to turn Nagorno Karabakh into jail, or even a sell, and force Armenians out of the region. Want do we need to do for the international community to wake up. Do we need to wait for another few days, weeks or months for hundreds to die because of lack of nutrition? Is this what we need to wait for?”  Xavier Bertrand said.

He noted that this tragedy can be averted. “The international community should remember what happened last century. We are politicians with most different political views, but we all demand from the President of France to introduce a resolution to the UN Security Council on support of the people of Artsakh.”

“The second message is very simple and very straightforward. We want to tell our friends in Armenia and Artsakh that we are aware of the seriousness of the situation, but you are not alone, we stand by you and are here to demonstrate that,” Xavier Bertrand stated.