Azerbaijan withdraws from five-sided meeting with Armenian PM in Spain's Granada on Oct 5 - media

BAKU. Oct 4 (Interfax) - A meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in the presence of European Council President Charles Michel, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and French President Emmanuel Macron scheduled in Spain's Granada for October 5 will not take place, Baku has withdrawn from these negotiations, Azerbaijani media said referring to a diplomatic source on Wednesday.

"The reason is France's destructive position and Paris's and Berlin's disagreement with Turkey's participation in the meeting. In such conditions, Azerbaijan has refused to conduct negotiations," the source said.

The Azerbaijani president is not flying to Granada, the source said.

Some of the latest statements by Armenia, France, Germany, and the EU's Michel have made it clear that an anti-Azerbaijani atmosphere dominates the platform, and French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna's remarks during her visit to Armenia have shown that Paris has assumed an almost hostile stance toward Azerbaijan, the source said.

"The statements and remarks that Catherine Colonna made during her voyage to Armenia have ruined the last illusions about 'importance' of a meeting in Granada. Against this backdrop, Azerbaijan has withdrawn from that meeting. For that reason, the Azerbaijani president is not flying to Granada," the media said.

Azerbaijan sees no point in meetings in said format and believes that regional problems should be settled by regional countries, the source said.

"If the previous trilateral format involving the EU, Azerbaijan, and Armenia is on the agenda, Azerbaijan might take part in it. However, any format in which France is represented is unacceptable to our country. Azerbaijan will not take part in meetings in which France is represented," the source said.