Baku calls on Paris to investigate French espionage activities in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov announced that his country had sent an official invitation to Paris to participate in the investigation into the activities of a French agent network in Azerbaijan, noting that Baku had not received any response.

Bayramov said in a press conference: “A memorandum was sent to the French side that includes the facts, evidence and proof available to us.”

He added: "We have invited the French side to cooperate and participate in investigating the activities of this intelligence network, but we have not received any response to this memorandum."

Yesterday, Wednesday, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the expulsion of two Azerbaijani diplomats as part of “reciprocity,” after Baku declared two French diplomats “persona non grata.”

The French Foreign Ministry's statement said that Paris "categorically denies the allegations made by Azerbaijan to justify its decision regarding the French diplomats accused of carrying out activities inconsistent with their status."

A day before that, Azerbaijan announced the expulsion of two French diplomats due to activities “incompatible with their status,” in the context of tension between the two countries over Paris’s support for Armenia.

Azerbaijan routinely accuses France, which is home to a large Armenian community, of bias in favor of Armenians in the regional conflict between countries in the Caucasus region .

Serbia The opposition continues its demonstrations in Belgrade

Several hundred supporters of the opposition "Serbia Against Violence" coalition organized another protest in front of the walls of the Republican Election Commission in the center of the Serbian capital, Belgrade.

This was reported by a TASS correspondent, who followed that the march then proceeded through the city, where about 400 demonstrators took to the road and headed to the Radio and Television of Serbia building, and marched through the central streets of the city, chanting slogans demanding the release of all those detained in connection with the riots. The demonstrators used musical instruments and whistles, but at the same time it was noted that there was a significant decrease in the number of demonstrators, as well as in the duration of the protest movement, which lasted less than an hour and a half yesterday, Wednesday.

Supporters of the "Struggle" student organization, which supports the opposition coalition " Serbia Against Violence ," had announced earlier on Wednesday that they would organize a protest in the Serbian capital for 24 hours on December 29, during which the city's main highways would be closed.

Representatives of the "Serbia Against Violence" coalition claim that the results of the parliamentary and municipal elections held in the country, December 17, were fraudulent. On December 18, the opposition began a series of marches near the Republican Election Commission building, and on December 24, demonstrators attempted to storm the Belgrade city administration building. The police combatted the riots and arrested 38 people. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic described the attempt to seize Belgrade's administration as an attack on the republic's sovereignty, and Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said Moscow had warned Belgrade of possible unrest.

According to the decision of the Republican Election Commission, the elections will be repeated in 28 polling stations on December 30, while the “Serbia Against Violence” coalition announced its refusal to participate in it, and the opposition announced that it intends to organize a large protest in Belgrade on the day of the repeat elections.