Manuel Valls denounces Azerbaijan's “interference” in overseas territories

Overseas Minister Manuel Valls denounces the “interference and destabilization operations” of Azerbaijan in the overseas territories, accusing Baku of attacking “integrity” from France “without the slightest scruple”. “I want to firmly denounce Azerbaijan’s operations of interference and destabilization in our overseas territories. They deserve unanimous condemnation from all,” declared Manuel Valls in an interview published Saturday evening by the daily Ouest-France.

“This regime, openly and without the slightest scruple, attacks our integrity and our fundamental principles. This is unacceptable,” he added, calling on elected officials and political forces to “condemn these actions” and to “refuse any complacency with the Baku regime.”

Representatives of independence movements from several overseas territories and Corsica met Thursday and Friday in New Caledonia for the constitutive congress of “International Front for Decolonization. The event was relayed, on its social networks, by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG), an organization promoted by the Azerbaijani state very involved in supporting French independence movements. This congress was held after representatives of French independence groups had agreed in July on the creation of a “liberation front” common during a congress organized in Azerbaijan.

For months, Paris has accused Baku of“interference” and manipulation on New Caledonia and more generally on Overseas Territories, in a context of tensions between the two capitals due to France's support for Armenia, Azerbaijan's historic rival. The Nouméa congress brought together political figures from Martinique, Guadeloupe, Guyana, New Caledonia, Corsica and French Polynesia. Two Dutch territories were represented, Bonaire and the southern part of the island of Saint Martin (Sint Maarten).