Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, in a statement issued today congratulating French President Emmanuel Macron on Bastille Day, announced the start of a new era of interstate relations with France.

"Our recent telephone conversations with you and the fruitful discussions we held during our meeting in Copenhagen last year on the issues on the Azerbaijani-French agenda, the current state of our bilateral relations and their future prospects give reason to say that a new era has begun in the history of our interstate relations,” Aliyev message reads.

Aliyev expressed confidence that Baku and Paris will continue cooperation in the economic, cultural, educational and other areas of mutual interest in the spirit of partnership.

Tensions in relations between the two countries arose after the 2020 Artsakh War. Baku accused Paris of supporting Armenia and supplying weapons to Yerevan. Azerbaijan also claimed that France was trying to interfere in Azerbaijan's internal affairs, while conferences and forum discussions of separatists from New Caledonia, which is part of France, were being organized in Baku.

Photo: Macron and Aliyev met in Copenhagen on October 2, 2025 during the seventh European Political Community summit. (President of Azerbaijan’s website)