French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot has urged the swift signing of a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the release of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan under arbitrary detention.

Speaking on the sidelines of a European Union Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg, Barrot expressed serious concern about rising tensions along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. He emphasized the importance of strengthening the European Union Monitoring Mission in Armenia (EUMA) to help de-escalate the situation.

“Regarding Azerbaijan, I am extremely worried about the growing border tension. I hope that the European mission deployed on the ground can be strengthened to effectively monitor the situation and suppress that tension,” he stated.

Barrot reaffirmed France’s position that the long-negotiated peace agreement between Yerevan and Baku must be finalized, and that all arbitrarily detained Armenian individuals in Azerbaijan should be released without delay.

French Ambassador to Azerbaijan Anne Boillon reiterated the statement by French FM Jean-Noël Barrot, emphasizing the urgent need to finalize the peace treaty and secure the release of Armenian prisoners.

Taking to social media, Boillon wrote on X:

“The peace treaty must now be signed and the arbitrary detainees, the prisoners, must be released.”