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France 24
France 24
Politics
Sébastian SEIBT

How France became the target of Azerbaijan's smear campaign

Azerbaijan France FRANCE 24 Baku Emmanuel Macron Forbidden Stories Ilham Aliyev France 2 United Nations Armenia
Relations between Azerbaijan and France have deteriorated. © Studio Graphique France Médias Monde

What do the absence of French observers at Azerbaijan's February 7 presidential election, a group denouncing "French colonialism" and an online campaign targeting the 2024 Paris Olympics have in common? They are three facets of a new offensive strategy adopted by Azerbaijani diplomacy towards France. FRANCE 24 investigated this shift with the Forbidden Stories consortium and other media outlets as part of "The Baku Connection" project.

Azerbaijan’s February 7 presidential election, which handed President Ilham Aliyev an unsurprising and unopposed victory with 92% of the vote and a fifth term in office, provided the backdrop for the latest illustration of deteriorating Franco-Azerbaijani relations.

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