Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev reiterated his support for the independence of French overseas territories, describing them as being “under colonial rule.”
“The Comoros Islands, Mayotte are still under colonial rule. It has been our duty to help these countries liberate themselves from this revolting remnant from the past,” Aliyev said during a media forum in Baku on Saturday, Reuters and Azerbaijani news agency Trend reported.
The Comoros, an East African archipelago, gained independence from France in 1975, but a year later, one of the archipelago’s islands, Mayotte, voted in favor of remaining in France during a referendum organized by Paris. Comoros does not recognize French sovereignty over Mayotte and U.N. resolutions have also affirmed the Comoros’ sovereignty over the island.
