The French government has once again slammed Azerbaijan's destabilizing policy towards the French overseas territory of New Caledonia; in particular, its support for calls for independence. This was stated by the minister for overseas territories of France, Manuel Valls, during a visit to New Caledonia, an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean near Australia, Le Figaro reports.

Valls stated that France will use all tools to counter external interference in the situation around New Caledonia, and slammed Azerbaijan's destabilizing policy in this regard.

"Azerbaijan... is attempting not only to influence political debates, to use moments of crisis such as the one in New Caledonia recently, but also to pursue a policy of interference and destabilization," said Manuel Valls.

He noted that Azerbaijan’s rhetoric regarding New Caledonia seems strange.

“The demands for more democracy, more protection from a country that does not practice democratic approaches, that has carried out real ethnic cleansing [of Armenians] in Karabakh, clearly show that its interest is not to protect anyone here, but to harm France,” the French minister said.