The Azerbaijani public representatives sent an appeal to President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, Trend reports.

“Mr. President, Valerie Pecresse, the president of the Regional Council of Ile-de-France and a French presidential candidate, accompanied by Michel Barnier and Bruno Retailleau, illegally and secretly crossed the borders of the Republic of Azerbaijan on December 22, recognized by the international community, as well as the French Republic, and visited Khankendi city in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region,” the appeal said.

According to the appeal, this illegal visit grossly violates the laws of the civilized world.

“While the steps are being taken to sign a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, normalize the relations and intensify confidence between the two peoples, the illegal visit of Ms. Pecresse and the attempts to turn this visit into a tool of the pre-election campaign are aimed at deliberately aggravating the situation in a region which survived the war and striving to start the construction and reconstruction processes, and at undermining the peace efforts,” the appeal said.

“Does Pecresse need this step to attract voters?" the appeal said. “However, no internal electoral struggle can justify such behavior. We strongly condemn this irresponsible step.”

According to the appeal, Ms. Pecresse and some advisers, as well as representatives of the Armenian diaspora, are trying to characterize the conflict in the media and social networks on the basis of religion.

“While insulting the religious feeling of people, they express humiliating words against Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani people and this is an open call of hatred towards the Azerbaijani people,” the appeal said.

“The calls for open hatred by people in such a country as France, in which the traditions of universal human values and the separation of religion from politics are the keystones of the state, do not correspond to any moral and universal values and are very surprising for us,” the appeal said.

“Their attempts to present the conflict as a confrontation of a religious nature can be regarded as a characteristic of the worldview of the crusaders,” the appeal said. “Is it possible to say that the sovereign legal state of the French enlighteners once again under pressure as a result of obscurantist views?”

According to the appeal, Ms. Pecresse says that as a candidate, she can go anywhere.

“Of course, while using freedom of movement in France and the European Union, in which France is a member, Ms. Pecresse is free to visit any place and conduct her pre-election campaign,” the appeal said. “However, to visit Azerbaijan, Ms. Pecresse should apply to the Azerbaijani corresponding structures and obtain permission to enter the country.”

“Pecresse’s secret entry into the Azerbaijani territory without permission grossly violates the Azerbaijani legislation, as well as the requirements of the national legislation of France, its international and bilateral obligations,” the appeal said.

“First of all, France is one of three co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, which was created to resolve the conflict that has lasted between Armenia and Azerbaijan for 28 years,” the appeal said.

According to the appeal, as a co-chairing country, France must maintain neutrality between the sides and support the peace efforts.

“France and Azerbaijan recognize each other's international borders both bilaterally and multilaterally, confirm mutual respect for territorial integrity and develop friendly relations,” the appeal said.

According to the appeal, the agreement signed between the two countries on December 20, 1993, serves to develop friendship and cooperation, imposes obligations on them in accordance with the principles and norms of international law.

“According to the French constitution adopted in 1958, foreign policy issues have been included in the prerogative powers of the central authorities of the country,” the appeal said.

“Territorial units, namely, municipalities, departments, regions, cannot be engaged in the foreign policy of the country and cause damage to its international obligations (Articles L1115-1 and other articles of the General Code of Territorial Units),” the appeal said.

According to the appeal, in this regard, the interior minister, the minister for Europe and foreign affairs signed circular # NOR/INTB1809792C on May 24, 2018.

“Mr. President, taking into account the requirements of the French national legislation, we ask you to take the necessary measures to prevent such illegal visits and prevent their recurrence in the future,” the appeal said.

Signatories of the appeal:

1. Tural Ganjaliyev - independent MP

2. Etibar Aliyev - independent MP

3. Vugar Bayramov - independent MP

4. Zaur Sadigbayli - lawyer, France

5. Mayisa Aghamirzayeva - coordinator of Coordination Council of Azerbaijanis in the Netherlands-Belgium

6. Yashar Musayev - Chairman of the Board of the Alliance of Azerbaijanis in Germany

7. Rashad Ibrahim - co-chairman of the Federation of Azerbaijanis in Belgium

8. Arzu Hasanova - Deputy Director of the Cultural Association of Azerbaijan in Luxembourg "Karabakh"

9. Alimammad Nuriyev - human rights activist, president of the Constitution Researches Fund

10. Sahib Mammadov - human rights activist, chairman of the Citizens’ Labor Rights Protection League

11. Chingiz Ganizade - human rights activist, chairman of the Committee on Democracy and Human Rights

12. Zaur Ibrahimov - Chairman of the "Center for Social and Economic Research "Priority" Public Association

13. Gunel Safarova - human rights activist, chairman of the "Citizen" Research and Development Public Union

14. Novella Jafarova - human rights activist, chairperson of the Society for the Protection of Women's Rights of Azerbaijan named after D. Aliyeva

15. Saltanat Hojamanli - human rights activist, chairperson of the "Protection of human rights and the rule of law" public association

16. Hafiz Hasanov - human rights activist, chairman of the "Law and Development" public association

17. Saadat Bananyarli - human rights activist, chairperson of the "Azerbaijan National Branch of the International Society for Human Rights" public association

18. Fatma Sattarova - chairperson of the Organization of Veterans of War, Labor and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan, participant in the World War II

19. Rey Karimoglu - Chairman of the "Azerbaijan Mine Victim Association" public association, Deputy Chairman of the "Veterans of Karabakh" public association

20. Ramil Iskandarli - Chairman of the "Legal Analysis and Research" Public Union

21. Mais Aliyev - Chairman of the "Research of Social Rights" Public Union

22. Khalid Kazimov - Chairman of the "Regional Center for Human Rights and Media" public association

23.Khanim Ahmadzade - Chairperson of the "Women Lawyers Association" public association

24. Rafail Bedjanov - Chairman of the "Human Rights and Education" public association

25. Samad Vakilov - Chairman of the "Muvekkil" Legal Center public association

26.Vusala Huseynli – Chairperson of the "Reformist Women and Innovations" Public Union

27.Shahin Jamalov - Head of the "Human Rights XXI Century-Azerbaijan" Foundation

28. Rafig Ismayilov - Director of "For Civil Society" Independent Consultations and Assistance Center

29. Mehriban Zeynalova - Chairperson of "Clean World" Aid to Women and Children Public Union

30.Kamala Aghazade - Chairperson of the "Azerbaijani Children" public union

31. Vugar Gadirov - Chairman of the Azerbaijan Refugee and IDPs Youth Organization

32. Mahira Amirhuseynova - Chairperson of the "Women of the XXI century" public association

33. Mehriban Abdullayeva - Chairperson of the "Democratic Society and Protection of Women's Rights" public union

34. Khatira Valiyeva - Chairperson of the "Khankendi" IDP Support Public Union

35. Abil Zeynalov - Chairman of the "Support to internally displaced war veterans" public association