Representational picture. AP
The mayor of Vienne, a metropolis in south-eastern France, has eliminated the Ukrainian flag from the town corridor after an “unacceptable” telephone dialog between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev.
Initially, the Ukrainian flag had been hoisted on the metropolis corridor to specific solidarity with Kyiv for the conflict in Ukraine. Nevertheless, Thierry Kovacs argued that it was contradictory to “claim Western values and request Western assistance” whereas supporting Azerbaijan and what he known as the “ethnic cleansing” of ethnic-Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“This doesn’t diminish Vienne’s support for the Ukrainian people, but we cannot oppose a totalitarian regime in the name of European values while simultaneously endorsing another dictatorial and brutal regime. It’s a matter of consistency, ” mentioned the mayor in a Fb submit on Thursday.
The telephone name between Presidents Zelensky and Aliyev had reportedly included expressions of gratitude from Zelenskyy for Azerbaijan’s “significant humanitarian assistance,” with each leaders reaffirming their dedication to the rules of state sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Final month, Azerbaijan regained management of the breakaway area of Nagorno-Karabakh throughout a quick “counterterrorism” operation. Nagorno-Karabakh, primarily populated by ethnic-Armenians, had declared independence from Baku within the early Nineties, however this declaration was not recognised by any nation, together with Armenia.
Regardless of assurances from Baku about defending civilians, over 100,000 Armenians, roughly 90 per cent of Nagorno-Karabakh’s estimated inhabitants, fled the area after a ceasefire was reached in late September.