Who would have thought that the day would come when Azerbaijan would be accused of interfering in the internal affairs of France. French officials have no idea what kind of compliment they are paying our country with such accusations. If you listen to the Minister of the Interior and Overseas Territories, Gerald Darmanen, Baku has long arms, so long that they reached all the way to New Caledonia.

In an interview with France-2 TV channel, this gentleman expressed a rather absurd opinion that Azerbaijan is related to the protests in this overseas territory, with which "supporters of the independence of Caledonia have made a deal." By "deal" he means the Memorandum of Cooperation signed on April 18 in Baku between the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan and the Congress of New Caledonia.

The document states that the MM takes into account the right of the people of New Caledonia to self-determination and will inform the international community on this issue. It is clear that the hysteria of Paris is connected with this phrase. It even seems to some that this is, they say, revenge for the French side's support of the "self-determination of the Armenians." But, pardon me, madame and monsieur, these are two big differences. The concept of self-determination of peoples is directly related to the indigenous population of New Caledonia, the Kanaks, and has nothing to do with the Armenians resettled after the Russian conquests on the territory of Azerbaijan. The right to self-determination has been introduced into international legislation regarding the former colonies and the peoples who inhabited them, and France, as a colonizing power, should not be offended by it.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry commented on Dermanen's words, called them offensive and, for its part, called on Paris to stop the slanderous campaign against our country. The Foreign Ministry advised the French Interior Minister to recall the history of his own country and the crimes against humanity committed by it, as well as to understand the causes of discontent among the indigenous inhabitants of Caledonia, instead of throwing accusations.

The independence movement of New Caledonia was not invented by Azerbaijan, it has existed for more than half a century. And if, being part of France, the Kanaks still demand independence, it means that Paris has not been able to establish relations with the colonized people. In 1931, France demonstrated kanakas in a cage at the International Colonial Exhibition, and today it is trying to impose unacceptable electoral legislation on them.

The reason for the current protests was the discontent of the Kanaks with the French constitutional bill on the expansion of the electoral corps in local elections. On the night of May 15, the French parliament passed a constitutional amendment, which supporters of independence regarded as serving the interests of "loyalists" - mostly white settlers. The indigenous people already do not make up the majority - just over 40 percent according to the census of five years ago. The settlement of the islands by aliens began immediately after the French colonization. After World War II, this process accelerated due to the construction of American bases and the influx of immigrants from Europe and Asia. In addition, due to the unforeseen increase in the number of Kanaks in Paris, they became worried and began to take measures encouraging resettlement to Caledonia. As the latest population census shows, the goal has been achieved.

According to the Numean Agreement of 1998, which expanded the autonomy of the Overseas Territory with a special status, only citizens and their children included in the voter lists at the time of the conclusion of this document had the right to vote. This was the case until May 15, 2023. Now, everyone who has lived in the archipelago for more than ten years has received the right to vote. This was explained by the need for "greater integration into the French political system." In fact, the French authorities were scared by three referendums on independence and the recently intensified protest moods. France does not intend to let go of Caledonia and other overseas territories and cease to be considered an "Indo-Pacific power." Military bases are located on the islands of the archipelago, this is a promising region, the importance of which, according to experts, will only grow in the next decade. Therefore, Paris has taken measures to nullify any attempts by the Kanaks to gain a majority. Kanaks have their own view of the situation.

The authorities showed excessive cruelty to the protesting citizens. Apparently, in order to hide what has already happened and prevent the leakage of information about what else the army will create against the population, the government has begun to block social networks, and in Caledonia they fear that the Internet may also be closed. However, the incident has already been announced at the UN. The representative of New Caledonia to the Organization, who is currently participating in the annual regional event of the UN Special Committee on Decolonization, informed the UN member states about the massacres committed in his country by the French Government. He noted that there are young people among those killed.

Meanwhile, in Paris, they are rolling a barrel at Baku, accusing the Azerbaijani side of inciting separatism in overseas territories and trying to distract attention from their own actions in this way. Azerbaijan's "hand" is also seen in anti-French sentiments in West Africa, which France continues to consider its colony by default. But it is not Azerbaijan's fault that the peoples of the former colonies want to get rid of French influence. France itself and its policies are to blame for the growth of anti-French sentiment. In Paris, they do not want to admit that their former colonies are inhabited by people, not slaves, who can be exploited in mines and shown in cages at some kind of exhibition. If this were not the case, would the indigenous people of Caledonia renounce French citizenship? Let's just turn to logic. People from many other regions of the world are ready to do anything for the sake of a maroon book with the coat of arms of France. And the Kanaks suddenly take and refuse a French passport? This cannot be just a whim and simply the result of some kind of "deal" with Baku. This is the result of the systemic neocolonial policy of the Steamship.

The French are struck by the name "Baku Initiative Group". It is no secret why Baku found itself at the center of the movement to fight neocolonialism. By chairing the Non-Aligned Movement, Azerbaijan began to delve into the problems of the so-called third world countries. Thanks to him, NAM member countries felt like members of the international community, and the international community began to pay attention to their problems. Feeling the attention, interest and real strength in Azerbaijan, the members of the Movement chose him as an informal leader, despite the fact that he no longer chairs the NAM.

The Baku Initiative Group against French neo-colonialism was also formed under the shadow of this organization. It was established in July last year as part of a ministerial meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement. Why was France given such an "honor"? Because it is the only power from the former colonialists that continues its previous policy, even aiming at the South Caucasus. And no one can forbid us to talk about it. If it is convenient for the "civilized world" to remain silent about the genocide of Algerians, about the extreme poverty of the Sahel countries, from where gold and uranium are exported, if the demographic "genocide" in New Caledonia is considered an internal matter of France, there are those who care. And this is not only Azerbaijan. These are dozens of countries that the "civilized world" has given up on. And the fact that they decided to join forces on the Azerbaijani platform is due to Azerbaijan's leadership in the Non-Aligned Movement. Paris cannot change these realities, they already exist.

The angry statements from France are related to the bad relations that have developed between Azerbaijan and France in recent years. Paris has experienced the restoration of its territorial integrity by our country very hard and is furious at Baku's unwillingness to dance to the French tune. This "war" was not started by Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani side just endured for a long time, waiting for the defenders of Armenian separatism to calm down. But they did not calm down. When France dragged the Armenian issue to international organizations, Baku could not remain silent any longer.

The accusations of Baku's interference in the internal affairs of France are simply surprising. Who would talk! France, its Senate and National Assembly, its Foreign Ministry, its president have been openly and harshly interfering in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan for a year, adopting unthinkable resolutions, making unthinkable statements. And they think they have every right to do so. Long before the creation of the Baku Group, a piece of paper on the "right to self-determination" of the Karabakh Armenians was adopted in the French parliament. France is tearing up its vest for the Armenian separatists, despite the fact that injustices are being committed in its own overseas territories. French officials have repeatedly staged open provocations at the border and in international organizations, and made claims against the sovereign state of Azerbaijan, to which they had no right. Using its membership in the UN Security Council, its status as a European power and the leading state of the European Union, France tried to trample on international law.

And today, Mr. Gerald Darmanen, Minister of the Interior and Overseas Territories, considers it possible to accuse Baku of something? It's hopeless.