The international community's reaction was inadequate. Otherwise the population of Nagorno-Karabakh would still be in Nagorno-Karabakh. France made every effort, during which it demanded three times and even managed to hold discussions in the UN Security Council both during the blockade and during the forced displacement, but the international community's reaction was not adequate. This was stated by French Ambassador Olivier Decottignies in an interview with the Public Radio of Armenia—and answering the question of whether the international community's reaction to the Armenian exodus from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) was adequate.

"As for the return of the [Armenian] residents of Nagorno-Karabakh to their homes, it is a right. It is not a hypothesis, it is a right. That right was recognized by the International Court of Justice in its decision of November 17, 2023, and that decision has binding force; that is, Azerbaijan is obligated to fulfill it. That decision also specifies in detail the criteria for return in terms of security, protection of heritage, cultural or religious rights. Everything is written in black and white,” he said.

According to Decottignies, France’s position on the matter is also very clear. First of all, to provide support to the forcibly displaced and to Armenia, which received and hosted them. He noted that France was the first in this regard in terms of the amount of humanitarian assistance provided in the last months of 2023 and in 2024, helping them to settle in Armenia, but without ever giving up its position on their right of return.

And regarding to the possibility of unblocking communications in the region, the French diplomat said: “There was a proposal from Armenia itself regarding the unblocking of communications, which France supports; it is the Crossroads of Peace project. We believe this is a very good approach because it is proposed to truly unblock communication channels. But this should be done on the basis of sovereignty, each in its own territory, on the principle of reciprocity and equality.”