Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev refuses to attend a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan scheduled for tomorrowThursday, in Spain because of recent indications of European support for Yerevan, an Azeri official told AFP today.

According to that official, who asked not to be named and confirmed press reports, Azerbaijan “did not consider it necessary to participate in the negotiations in this format” in Granada and Aliyev will not go to Spain as planned.

The Azeri official criticized her “anti-Azerbaijan atmosphere created” after Baku’s recent lightning victory over the Armenian separatists of Nagorno-Karabakh.

This official was mainly invoked the “pro-Armenian statements of French officials”, the visit of the French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonnade to Armenia and her “statements about the shipment of arms and ammunition”, as well as the “accusations made yesterday against Azerbaijan by the president of the EU Council Charles Michelle.”

Colona announced yesterday, Tuesday, evening that Paris “agreed” to deliver military hardware to Armeniawhich wants to protect itself from its neighbor Azerbaijan.

The French minister did not specify which equipment these are, but assured that Paris will act “in this area with a spirit of responsibility towards one and the other side and without any spirit of escalation”.

The French Prime Minister Elizabeth Bourne has stated on her part that wants a “European support plan” for Armenia.

Earlier today, Azerbaijan’s state news agency APA reported that President Aliyev decided not to participate in a meeting with Pashinyan during the EU summit that will take place from tomorrow, Thursday, in Spain.

Aliyev was considering taking part in a five-party meeting in Granada tomorrow with the leaders of France, Germany, Armenia, and the president of the European Council Michel.

The five were to discuss the future of the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave after its full recapture from Baku within 24 hours with the military operation launched on 19 September.

APA reported, citing anonymous sources, that Aliyev decided not to participate in the meeting.

According to the same source, Aliyev wanted Turkey to be represented at the meetingNevertheless France and Germany objected and Baku felt that “an atmosphere against Azerbaijan” had been developed among those who were to participate in the meeting.

The APA reported that Azerbaijan will not participate in future talks involving France, but remains potentially open to possible tripartite meetings with the EU and Armenia.

Moreover in Moscow representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova stated today that Russia had exchanged views with the United States and the European Union on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh before the military operation lightning of the Azeri forces last month.

Politico previously reported that top officials from the US and the EU had met their Russian counterparts in Turkey for urgent talks on Nagorno-Karabakh just a few days before Azerbaijan unleashes its business on the breakaway enclave.

“The US and the EU approached us and asked us to hold a meeting”, Zakharova told reporters. He added how the sides exchanged views on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“There was nothing secret about this meeting; it was an ordinary exchange of views. We will see how the West will now present all this.”