BAKU: Azerbaijan's president Ilham Aliyev has turned down an EU-hosted meeting with Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan planned this week due to European support for Yerevan, a government official told AFP Wednesday.
Two weeks ago, Aliyev launched a one-day offensive that saw his country regain control of the pro-Armenian separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The talks would have brought together the leaders of the two Caucasus arch-foes on the sidelines of an EU summit in Spain, under the mediation of France, Germany and the European Council.
"Azerbaijan did not consider it necessary to participate in negotiations in this format," an Azerbaijani government official said.
Aliyev would not attend due to "pro-Armenian statements by French officials... and statements on the supply of weapons and ammunition (to Yerevan) on military cooperation", the official added.
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said on a visit to Armenia Tuesday that Paris had agreed to deliver military equipment to the small South Caucasus nation, without elaborating.
Aliyev decision was also because of "accusations made yesterday by EU Council President Charles Michel", the official added.
He cited an "anti-Azerbaijani atmosphere" and said Baku had wanted the meeting to take place in Turkiye, its ally. Ankara has praised Azerbaijan's one-day offensive.
Michel -- who has mediated several meetings between the foes in recent years -- criticised Baku's offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh.
After a lightning offensive by Azerbaijani forces in September 2023, most of the Armenian population fled the self-proclaimed republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. The separatist authorities there announced that it would be dissolved on 1 January 2024.
Meanwhile, Armenia on Wednesday criticised Azerbaijan for arresting several separatist leaders from Nagorno-Karabakh.
Since the takeover, the majority of Nagorno-Karabakh's Armenian population has fled and separatist leaders -- including reported billionaire and former official Ruben Vardanyan -- have been detained.
"We strongly condemn the arrests by Azerbaijan of the leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh," Armenia's foreign ministry said in a statement.
"The Republic of Armenia will take all possible steps to protect the rights of the illegally arrested representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh, including in international courts," it said.
Separatist authorities in the breakaway region agreed to disarm, dissolve their government and reintegrate with Azerbaijan in the wake of Baku's one-day military operation in late September.
Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev said criminal investigations had been initiated into crimes committed by 300 separatist officials. —AFP
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