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Azerbaijan’s Diplomatic Tensions With France Spills Into the South Pacific
Why is a country in the South Caucasus being linked to a South Pacific island nation? Well, France is accusing Azerbaijan of meddling with its territory of New Caledonia, where riots broke out earlier this month after the approval of a new law. Its indigenous Kanak population are rejecting the bill which will allow people who have lived at least ten years in the islands to vote in local elections.
While several people have died in the riots, demonstrators were seen carrying Azerbaijani flags in some of the protests. France's interior minister said Baku, along with China and Russia, is interfering in New Caledonia's internal matters. Azerbaijan called the claims 'baseless'. Paris also accused Baku of spreading false information about French police on social media. Last year, an NGO called the Baku Initiative Group was formed in Azerbaijan. It includes members from various French territories seeking independence. Relations between the two countries began to rapidly deteriorate four years ago. Paris had openly supported Yerevan during and after the 2020 Karabakh war when Azerbaijan reclaimed its territory from Armenian separatists.
Strait Talk, hosted by Ayse Suberker, is TRT World’s programme that features in-depth analysis of Türkiye’s role in the world.
Guests:
Javier Farje
Political Analyst
Ahmad Shahidov
Director at Azerbaijan Institute for Democracy and Human Rights
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